Martial Arts Motherhood Challenge
by glainfach
Summary: Haunted by the knowledge that a child waits in limbo, Ranma makes a decision that will test both his determination and her courage. A decade after 'Spirit Walk', Ranma faces one of life’s greatest challenges.
1. Preface & Prologue

**The Martial Arts Motherhood Challenge**  
by Juliet Carnell  
based on Ranma ½ by Takahashi Rumiko

**Preface **

_This story takes its inspiration from my short story _'Spirit Walk'_ which you can find elsewhere on this site. Rather than a continuation of that story, this one picks up many years later to explore some of the side issues it raised. For the detail oriented among you, it takes place about ten or eleven years after the end of the series and sometime in our own near future._

_I've done a good deal of research into the science behind this, but I don't claim it to be exhaustive. So if anyone can point me to better references, please do. This story will contain some talk about human reproduction, so if you haven't had _'the talk'_ with your parents yet maybe you should._

_I make no apologies for the pairings mentioned in this story. Takahashi-sensei made it pretty clear throughout the series just who was going to wind up with whom and I have simply taken her lead. It's a conservative approach, but I'm definitely more interested in telling a story here than satisfying fantasies._

_I hope you enjoy this! I'm expecting about eight chapters in all, but it could be more if I get on a roll. I look forward to all of your comments, so please take a moment to let me know what you think._

**Prologue **

The dream began harmlessly enough. Ranma was sixteen again, the same year that he and his father had returned to Nerima from China, and he was locked in battle with Ryouga. At first he didn't recognize which battle, they had so many back in those days, but then the sequence of events became increasingly disjointed and changed more rapidly than he was comfortable with.

He soon realized that it was becoming a nightmare, but there was little he could do to stop it. Events were flashing through his mind like telephone poles seen from a bullet train. He tried desperately to lock onto one, to ground himself in some way so that he could understand what was frightening him so much. He caught sight of Akane and clung to that image…

Four tiny figures ran into the room and swarmed around Akane. None of them had faces, just blank white globes where their heads should be. --- "I just ate some of Akane's crappy cookin' and took a bath. Then I ended up here talking to a coyote spirit thingy." --- "What are those things? They're not gonna hurt her, are they?" --- "That's easy, I need to find the Spring of Drowned Man, the Nannichuan, and I need to find it quick!" --- The coyote chuckled, "Of course they won't hurt her, they're the spirits of her unborn children." --- "Well for one thing I usually don't come into this place as a guy" --- "They will continue to be with her until they are either born or she dies." --- Akane swung the huge mallet down landing it squarely on top of Ranma's head and his unconsciousness body sprawled lifelessly across the seat. --- "They don't have faces because they have not yet chosen their father." --- Ranma swung a wild roundhouse kick at Ryouga that was easily blocked, but it threw both fighters off balance and they tumbled into the pond together. "Oh yes, that was poetry in motion!" --- Two of the spirit children separated from the others and ran to Ryouga. Their faces began to take on color and in an instant two little fang-toothed children stood at his side. The coyote laughed, "They've chosen a father." --- Suddenly Akane rushed past Ranma and the coyote out into the garden, "Ranma you idiot! What have you done now?" --- One of the spirit children seemed to notice him and tapped the other on the arm. It pointed right at Ranma and then the other one nodded to some unspoken question. Smiles formed and then noses, eyes and black hair followed in quick succession. They now appeared to be two beautiful twin boys. "Did… did they just pick me?" --- Ranma watched his female self enter the ice cream shop wearing a pair of pink coveralls that had originally been Akane's. "I hate those coveralls!" --- "Yes warrior, they have chosen you. If the girl also chooses you they will be born and become your children.

The dream had become as familiar as an old friend and as frightening as the worst of his old enemies. He tossed and turned in his sleep, but he couldn't wake up. Not until _she_ appeared, not until the random sequence of events brought him face to face once again with his tormentor…

Suddenly there was the sound of soft mewing coming from every direction. Ranma looked around at the darkening forest with some anxiety. --- Sitting on top of the cash register playing with a kindama was another faceless spirit child. "That is not one of Akane's children. Pay it no mind." --- "You are a great warrior Ranma Saotome, you _will_ make the right choice." --- A smile appeared on the little spirit's face, then a nose and a long braid of flaming red hair. Finally eyes of the most intense blue Ranma had ever seen appeared and the little girl winked at him. --- "Humans only make one or two choices that have a direct effect on the course of their lives." --- She sprang into the air and leapt clear across the room in a single bound coming to a handstand on Ranma's head. He could feel only the barest impression of her tiny hands. --- Ranma was plummeting towards the bottom of the volcano's crater, Akane falling by his side. "I have to destroy it!" --- "The spirits of children do not attach themselves to men." --- "Whichever one you choose, the other will cease to exist." --- One by one the faces of the spirit children faded away until they were once again without form. "They have lost all hope of ever being born. They are trapped now between this world and the next and they will never be free until the mother they chose is dead." --- "No!" Ranma fell to his knees "Not m-m-my little girl!" --- "What use do you have for the unborn spirit of a child who foolishly attached itself to you because of your curse?" --- "What did you expect? That I would only show you what you seek and not make you see the consequences of finding it?" --- "Don't become so focused on the big decisions in life that you forget to make the little ones." --- "Mama no baka!"

Ranma sprang up out of the bed and straight into Akane's strong arms. Sweat was rolling off of him and the tank top he always slept in was soaked with perspiration. "No… no… no…" he mumbled incoherently.

"Ranma!" Akane shouted to him, "Wake up! You're having a nightmare. It's just a dream. Wake up!"

"A-A-Akane?" Ranma stammered. His chest ached and he was breathing too fast. He forced himself to calm down, forced himself to release the tension built up in his muscles. He slumped forward into his wife's arms and sighed deeply. "Akane…"

"I'm here Ranma," Akane said soothingly as she held him close and stroked his long hair, "I've got you. You're safe now. Was it the cats this time?"

"No…" he said. His breathing was almost back to normal now, "It was the spirit walk again."

Akane looked troubled, "That's five nights in a row Ranma. This has got to mean something."

"It means," he said with a weak grin, "that I should never let you make the curry."

Akane took the hand she was using to stroke his hair and raised it above her head. When she brought it back down, a kindama had appeared in her palm. With a smirk, she used the toy mallet to tap Ranma lightly on the head, "Baka! I'm serious Ranma, for five nights now she's come to you in your dreams. How long are you planning to ignore her?"

"I'm not ignoring her Akane!" Ranma said in frustration, "I just can't do what she wants me to do. I'm a guy. No matter how long I stay female or how comfortable I get with the curse, there's just no way I can sleep with a man. Even if I could force myself to, I'd never hurt you that way. You're the mother of my two sons and my one true love. To be unfaithful to you would be the most unmanly thing I've ever done."

"Would you rather deny me our only daughter?" Akane said harshly, "If she were mine to bring into this world I would agree with you, but she's yours Ranma, yours alone. If you truly want to prove that you love me you'll give our daughter a chance at life."

"I… I can't do that Akane," Ranma said miserably, "I don't know how."

o o o

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright © 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma ½' are copyright © 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.


	2. Chapter 1 – You’ve Got to Be Kidding!

**Chapter 1 – You've Got to Be Kidding!**

Ranma sat cross-legged in the center of the living room floor staring up at the wall screen where his financial statements were displayed. With a worried look on his face he picked up the remote, punched in some new numbers and pointed it at the screen. The figures shifted and the charts fluctuated a bit, but the picture it painted for the future of his business didn't change.

Money had become his chief concern in life as soon as high school ended. Against all odds he had passed the entrance exam for the same university that Akane was going to attend, but unlike Soun Tendo who had put aside money for his daughter's education Genma Saotome had been flat broke as usual.

His mother had helped out a little bit, but the brunt of the costs had fallen on Ranma's shoulders. He spent his four years at university working an average of three part-time jobs at once. Unfortunately for his male ego the best paying jobs had always required him to work in female form, so slowly he had come to value his curse for what it was and finally embraced it as a part of himself.

His relationship with Akane had remained rocky throughout those years. They fought, broke up and got back together again constantly, but they grew closer each time and were married the summer after graduation.

Ranma had taken over the day-to-day operation of the Tendo dojo and struggled to make a business out of the old school, but kids in Japan no longer seemed interested in the martial arts. They were into bleaching their hair, piercing their noses, sending instant messages on their cell phones and listening to foreign rock bands on their MP3 players. The few that did show up at the dojo, all wanted to learn 'secret ninja jutsu' or how to use a samurai sword.

Ranma would forever be indebted to his third year economics professor for introducing him to the concept of international franchising. While kids in Japan were rejecting the martial arts, kids all over the world were discovering Japanese anime and becoming obsessed with anything Japanese, especially martial arts. By the time Akane had become pregnant with their twin boys five years ago, Ranma was already jetting to the four corners of the globe to demonstrate the Art and sign up new franchises.

He had even managed to work his curse into the business. Although Ranma had grown into a young adult, his cursed form had remained a perpetual teenager. Still petite, full breasted and cute, he introduced her as his little sister Ranko. He would perform gravity defying stunts as the young girl and then head off stage for a quick face full of hot water before coming back out as himself to display his more powerful ki moves. The franchise owners ate this up and dojo's teaching the Art began popping up all over the world.

Known as Anything Goes Martial Arts Inc. in the United States and Indiscriminate Grappling Schools Ltd. everywhere else Ranma's business grew steadily, but he was still little more than a struggling small businessman just getting by. Then six months ago Akane's sister Nabiki had come to him with a new scheme and he had let her talk him into sinking all his cash reserves into the Internet venture. Now the consequences of that decision were staring him in the face.

"This can't be right," he mumbled and punched in more changes. When that didn't alter the bottom line either, Ranma sighed, "How am I going to explain this to Akane?"

"How are you going to explain what to Akane?" His wife said as she walked in from the hallway. She stared at the wall and tried to make sense of what was displayed there. In typical Ranma fashion, he had opened about twenty different windows and scattered them all over the screen. Most of the windows contained row upon row of numbers, but there were a few bar graphs and a pie chart or two. She quickly concluded that she had no idea what any of it meant.

"Are the boys in bed?" Ranma asked trying to head off the question.

"No, they're watching some interactive anime from Peru. It's in Spanish so I have no idea what they're actually watching and they refuse to go to bed until they reach something called 'nível seis'…"

"That's means level six," Ranma interpreted.

"I don't care what it means," Akane's anger was starting to show, "I told them that if they weren't in bed by eight o'clock I was sending you up there to cut the Internet connection."

"It's wireless Akane, there's nothing to cut."

"I don't care! Now what is it you don't want to tell me Ranma?"

"Um… well… I've been looking at the forecast for the next year… you see… Ever since I appeared on that Armenian reality game show last month, hits on the website have been increasing."

"No wonder," Akane said as she knelt down behind her husband and started massaging his neck, "you made that Russian weightlifter look like a fool."

Ranma grinned, "He was so full of himself. I had to compete as a girl just so I could kick his butt all over the place."

"Ranma, be honest," Akane scolded him. "You had to compete as a girl because part of the game involved swimming across a lake."

"Yeah, well that too. Anyway, that show went out on the Internet and now… well… unless I'm doing something really wrong with these numbers, within six months we're going to be rich."

"What!" Akane shouted. She had been preparing herself for bad news.

"The game rights alone are going to put the boys through college," Ranma grinned, "I really have to hand it to Nabiki, this virtual dojo thing is a gold mine!"

Akane sat back on her heels, clearly stunned by this news. Money had been the only obstacle she did not have an answer for and now Ranma himself had eliminated it. With a huge smile she kissed Ranma playfully on the back of his neck, "Well then, I think you owe Nabiki an apology or two."

Ranma scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, probably and I'll be sure to do just that the next time she's actually in Japan. Where is she these days?"

Akane looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Los Angeles… or Las Vegas. I always get those two confused, which one is the amusement park?"

"Las Vegas," Ranma said with a smirk, "Is she there with Kuno?"

"Of course… I really wish those two would get married and settle down."

"Why would Nabiki ever marry him when Kuno already gives her everything she wants?"

"I'd just like to see them start a family together."

"Akane, if there is a list of the one hundred women least likely to become mothers, I have the feeling your sister is right up there at the top."

"Really?" Akane said sensing an opening, "and just where do you place yourself on that list?"

Ranma had been getting up to move to the couch, but that question sent him straight back to the floor. "Wha… what do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I want to talk to you seriously about our daughter."

"Aw geeze Akane, didn't we go over that enough last night?"

"It was this morning Ranma," Akane corrected him, "Four o'clock in the morning! Do you really expect me to wait until you wake up screaming in the middle of the night again before we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about. It was just a dream. She's not real and I'm _not_ going to be anyone's mother."

"Oh, so now your spirit walk was just a dream? The fact that three months before I became pregnant you described our boys to me like you were looking at a photograph of them is now all part of a dream?"

"You gave me muffins filled with peyote mushrooms! It was a hallucination… it was all in my head… it never really happened!"

"Then what happened at Togenkyo was all just your imagination? Come on Ranma, you don't really believe that do you?"

Ranma hung his head, even he knew that wouldn't fly with Akane, "No… I knew it was all real the second I laid eyes on that crater. Every rock and pebble was exactly as the coyote showed it to me and the choice I had to make was every bit as final as he said it would be. If I hadn't blown up that spring you'd be a man and both of our lives would have been ruined."

"Then how can you deny that she exists?"

"Because the coyote told me it was hopeless. The spirits of children don't attach themselves to men."

"But you're not like other men Ranma… and not just because of your curse. At least talk to me about it, explain why you think it's impossible."

Ranma stared at his wife, "You're not going to give this up, are you Tendo?"

"Not until you give me one good reason to believe it really is hopeless."

"Okay, let's start with the curse. At a bare minimum I would have to stay female for nine months. I've never even come close to that before."

"What about the spring and summer of our second year at university? You stayed in girl mode that whole time so you could take that job as a lifeguard."

"Yes, but it wasn't full time. I must have gotten hit with hot water a couple of dozen times at least. I always changed back right away, but what would even a quick change do to the baby? I don't know and nether do you. Do you really want to risk her life like that?"

"So if there was some way to guarantee you wouldn't change back into a man by mistake you'd be willing to remain a woman the whole time?"

"Sure, but you can't guarantee that Akane."

Akane stood up and crossed the room to the bureau next to the kitchen door. She took a large white envelope off the top and tossed it to Ranma.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Open it and see for yourself," Akane said as she walked back and sat on the couch.

Ranma ripped open the express mail envelope and reached inside. He pulled out a small cardboard box covered in Chinese characters. He struggled for a moment to translate the big red characters on the front and then looked up at his wife stunned, "Waterproof soap? I forgot all about this stuff. Where'd you get it?"

"I e-mailed Shampoo yesterday and she sent it overnight express. She's also shipping us a whole case of it that should be here by next week. She says that Cologne has improved the formula and she guarantees 100 percent effectiveness if it's used daily."

"I thought this stuff keeps the curse from working?"

"No, according to Shampoo it keeps water from triggering the curse. So if you use it with cold water, the effect is to lock you in the cursed state. If you wash all over with this once a day, no amount of hot water can change you back."

Ranma looked skeptical, "Can we really trust this stuff?"

"Shampoo used this to safely have all three of her children. You know how over protective Mousse is, so if he was okay with it I'm satisfied it'll work for us." Akane smiled triumphantly, "That's one down, what's your next excuse?"

"It wasn't an excuse, I honestly forgot about this," Ranma opened one end of the box and peeked inside, "Cologne tried to blackmail me into marrying Shampoo with all kinds of stuff. I only remember the painful ones," he sniffed at the box and wrinkled his nose, "but even if this can keep me female the whole time it won't do any good if there's no father. I told you, I'm not going to go to bed with a man or be unfaithful to you."

Ranma had the calm smug look of a man that had just unconditionally won the argument, but looking equally calm Akane reached over and picked up a pamphlet lying on the coffee table and handed it to Ranma. He looked at it and the blood drained from his face.

"Nerima Family Medical Clinic," he read out loud, "List of Infertility Services…" Looking down the list he saw that two lines had been highlighted with a bright yellow marker, "Sperm bank" and "Artificial insemination".

"You see it's not necessary to go to bed with a man just to get pregnant these days. It's probably not as much fun," Akane giggled, "but it's certainly easier than dating."

"I'll bet this stuff is expensive," Ranma was beginning to grope for straws.

"Oh, it is!" said Akane merrily, "Dreadfully expensive, but weren't you just telling me that we're going to be rich? Can you think of anything better to do with that money than to add a new member to our family?"

Ranma swallowed hard, an expert was working him into a corner and he was defenseless, "B-b-but these sperm banks… how would we ever know what kind of guy the father was? You don't want our daughter to be fathered by just anyone, do ya?"

"No of course not, but Ranma," Akane smiled sweetly, she was setting him up for the final blow, "we already know who the father is."

"W-we do?"

"Of course we do. The father was standing right there when the spirit child's face appeared. Don't you remember?"

"There wasn't anyone standing there, just the coyote and… me…" Ranma's eyes grew really wide then narrowed into slits, "Akane Tendo Saotome, have you lost your mind? I can't father my own child!"

"Why not? I called Kasumi this morning and had her ask Toufuu about it. He says that there are more than enough differences between you and your girl form to make it genetically safe."

"And just how am I supposed to get _myself_ pregnant?"

Akane leaned over and tapped the pamphlet that was still in Ranma's hand, "Simple, sperm banks take deposits."

o o o

Akane would have been surprised if it had ended there and it didn't. They continued to argue about it for the next two weeks. Every time Ranma thought he had poked a hole in her plan she plugged it right back up. The nightmares stopped right away, a fact that Akane believed proved Ranma was just being stubborn.

Ranma insisted on trying out the waterproof soap and then freaked out when he could not change back into a man for nearly three days. He grudgingly had to admit that the soap worked well enough to be safe.

Then two days ago, he had finally found the one flaw in Akane's plan. She had done everything she could to convince her husband, but she hadn't thought about how to convince his mother. Nodoka had never really come to terms with Ranma's curse. She accepted it as something he had no control over, but she still saw it as a weakness he needed to compensate for with manliness.

So Akane and Ranma found themselves sitting in the Saotome's formal Japanese style room across the table from Genma as they all waited nervously for Nodoka to bring tea. This room always made Akane nervous. When Ranma had first bought the house for his parents it had been bright and modern, but every time they came to visit it seemed to have slipped further back in time. Now it could easily be used as the set of an Edo period drama.

As was appropriate for them as guests, Akane and Ranma were sitting with their backs to the alcove tastefully decorated with flower arrangements and a wall scroll declaring "manliness in all things", but that meant they were facing the opposite wall where Nodoka's ever growing collection of swords hung. Akane felt sure that at least four new katana swords had appeared there since their last visit.

As if reading her mind, Ranma asked, "Hey pop, did mom get more swords?"

Genma glanced over his shoulder and sighed, "Yes, ever since she discovered on-line auctions we seem to be getting something new delivered all the time. We're expecting a full suit of armor to show up any day now. Just where we'll put it is anyone's guess…"

The door leading to the kitchen slid open to reveal Nodoka wearing her usual kimono. Kneeling at the doorway she picked up a tray filled with tea cups and set it inside the door, stood up, walked through the door, turned around, knelt down again, closed the door, lifted the tray, stood up again and then finally approached the table. Ranma's mother treated entering a room with the way most Japanese women would perform the tea ceremony.

Nodoka knelt at the head of the table and set out the cups. Then she measured out the tea into a pot and filled it with hot water from the electric kettle, the one and only modern appliance in the room. After swishing the pot around a few times she poured the bright green tea into two of the cups and pushed them in front of Ranma and Genma. Akane gritted her teeth as the two men took a sip.

"That's great mom," Ranma said quickly. He was probably already feeling Akane's battle aura rising.

"Yes, it's wonderful dear," Genma added just as quickly.

Finally satisfied that the men were properly served, Nodoka poured tea into the remaining cups and passed one to Akane who counted to ten and took a deep breath before picking it up and taking a sip. As usual it was delicious, "_Why can't I make tea that tastes like this?_" Akane thought, "It's excellent mother, thank you."

"You're welcome Akane dear," Nodoka said as she settled in next to Genma. She took a plate of cookies from the tray and offered them to Ranma, "Try these dear, I baked them this morning right after you called." Ranma took one and then she set the tray down in the middle of the table without offering them to either Akane or Genma.

"Wow, they're still warm," Ranma said with his mouth full, "You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble mom."

"Well, it's not everyday my son calls out of the blue after two months of silence to tell me he needs to talk to us about something important. I also expected you would bring my two precious grandsons who I've not seen in over three months. You know how much they like my cookies… perhaps you could take them some?"

"Mother!" Ranma groaned, "You don't have to be so melodramatic about it. We didn't bring the boys because we both really need to talk to you," he nodded towards Akane.

"We were afraid they would be a distraction," Akane tried to sound apologetic, but in truth she hated it when Nodoka filled the boys up with sweets.

"Well then," Nodoka said, "I can't wait to hear what news is more important than our grandchildren. Right Genma?"

Akane looked across the table at her father-in-law who was staring longingly at the plate of cookies. Nodoka must have put the poor dear on another diet. In spite of the fact that he and Ranma spared at least three times a week, her mother-in-law perpetually believed he was fat and lazy. It probably had a lot to do with how he acted when he was a panda and Akane felt sorry for him.

"Our news is _about_ your grandchildren, mom." Ranma said rather tersely, "If you'd just let us explain…"

"Are the boys all right?" Nodoka's expression and tone of voice had changed completely, she was now all concern, "Is one of them sick?"

"No mother," Akane explained, "the boys are fine. This isn't about them."

"But Ranma," Nodoka continued to address herself to him alone, "didn't you just tell me this was all about our grandchildren?"

"It is mom, we're…" Ranma paused to steel himself before continuing, "thinking about having another baby."

Instantly Nodoka turned her focus on Akane who almost fell over backwards from the intensity of it, "Akane-chan! Are you pregnant? Have you been eating right? You look a little pale. Maybe you should be sitting in a chair…"

"No… no…" Akane tried to get a word in, "I'm not pregnant mother. We've only just _decided_ to have another child."

"Oh," Nodoka said, backing off a little, "but this is wonderful news! Another baby and you were so sure after the twins that you couldn't have any more children."

Akane looked at Ranma, asking with her eyes if he was really ready for this. She saw him swallow hard and then nod. Akane took a deep breath and turned to Nodoka, "Mother, I'm not going to have this child."

Nodoka was quiet for a while before she said, "I understand, I know it must be hard on you dear. I've read about these things in the news, have you found a surrogate mother yet?"

"Well… kind of…" Akane looked over at Ranma who was quickly turning the color of a ripe tomato. Nodoka and Genma followed her gaze and now they were staring at him too. His mouth opened to say something, but no sound came out.

Then Nodoka sat bolt upright, "Ranma! Don't tell me that you intend to use that… that… that _thing_ to have a child? It's bad enough that you're forced to suffer the indignity of it, now you want to compound our family's shame by committing adultery with… with a man!"

"It's not like that mom…" Ranma tried to say, but his mother cut him off and turned on Akane.

"How can you stand by and let this happen Akane? Do you have no regard for the sanctity of your own home? What will your sons think when they learn what their father has done?" suddenly Nodoka switched to a loud stage whisper, "Aren't you the least bit worried that he'll like it better that way?"

"Mother!" Ranma shouted, "Please just listen to us for one minute! It's not…"

"Just tell me it's not that Hibiki boy who's seduced you into this. I never trusted the way he was always harassing you in high school."

"It's not Ryouga mom…"

"Then who? Tell me who do you intend to have father this bastard child?"

Akane had reached her limit. She pounded her fist on the table so hard that it made all of the teacups jump, "You want to know who the father will be? I'll tell you, he's the kindest and most caring person I know, someone who would sacrifice his own life for his family in an instant. The father of our daughter is going to be the same man who fathered our sons, the greatest martial artist in the world, Ranma Saotome!"

Nodoka was stunned into silence and it was Genma that spoke next, "Just how are you planning to accomplish that one boy?"

Akane felt Ranma release her wrist. It had probably been the only thing keeping her from bolting across the table at her mother-in-law. She counted to ten, took a deep breath and said calmly, "We're planning to use artificial means. Ranma will store enough of his sperm at the clinic for at least a few attempts and then change into a woman."

"Is such a thing even possible?" asked Nodoka more coolly, "Isn't that like cloning or something?"

"We talked to Dr. Toufuu about it," Ranma said, "He's done lots of tests on my girl form over the years and he thinks there are more than enough differences between us. Kasumi did some research on the Internet and she feels it would be no worse than two cousins having a baby together. Maybe even safer since the chance of a recessive gene springing up is much less."

"And just how long will you have to remain… a woman?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma looked at Akane and then said, "We figure twelve months at least."

"Can you do that Ranma?" asked Genma, "How are you planning to avoid hot water for that length of time?"

"We have some magic soap that Shampoo sent us from China. It will keep me from turning back into a man until it's over."

"A year without hearing the sound of my son's voice…" Nodoka said quietly, "What are you planning to tell Masato and Hideto? How are you going to explain what's happened to their father?"

Ranma chuckled, "That's easy, they've been watching me go through the transformation their whole lives. Their favorite game when they were two years old was pouring cold water on daddy while he was asleep. I'd wake up with two little heads using my breasts as pillows."

"How do you even know you can get pregnant while you're cursed?" Nodoka asked. Some of the previous fire had crept back into her voice.

Akane looked at her husband, "I think you should tell them Ranma."

He nodded and then paused to collect his thoughts, "Back when I was in high school, before you found us mother, I had a vision, a sort of spiritual walk with a guide in the form of a coyote."

"Like in the American cartoons?" asked Genma.

"No pop, this one was real looking. He showed me things from my future, things that have since come true."

"Ranma was able to describe our boys," Akane said, "months before I became pregnant. He knew they would be twins. He described them in such detail and they've grown up to look just like that."

"The coyote also showed me the volcano on Togenkyo and what would happen to Akane and me if I didn't blow up the spring" Ranma winced as he watched his father's reaction to that painful memory. By blowing it up, he had not only doomed himself to being cursed for life, but his father, Ryouga and Mousse as well.

"Everything he showed me has come true, except for one. He showed me the spirit of a little girl. That spirit was attached to me the same way Masato and Hideto were attached to Akane. She'll only be born if I give birth to her."

"We both desperately want that little girl," Akane said, "I want to hold her in my arms and tell her that her father loved her enough to make this sacrifice. Mother, don't you want to see your granddaughter someday?"

Nodoka sat stony faced for several awkward minutes before she finally spoke, "No, this is unnatural and immoral. I forbid you to have a child this way!"

"Mother…" Akane was shocked. She thought they were getting through to Nodoka, but now this, "you can't mean that? Think about…"

Akane was suddenly cut short as the room filled with a stifling atmosphere. She could barely breath it was so oppressive. When she realized that it was Ranma's battle aura projected at a level she had never felt from him before, she gazed at her husband in wonder. She expected to see him grim faced and ready for combat, but instead his eyes were filled with tears and his lower lip was quivering.

"No mother!" Ranma's voiced boomed through the house and it seemed as if the very foundations trembled, "We didn't come here for your permission. We came here to ask for your blessing. If this is the best you can do, then just don't say anything. I've seen the face of my daughter, I've stared into her beautiful blue eyes and I've felt the touch of her tiny hands. If I'm doomed never to see that face again until I die, then you might as well hand me one of those damned swords of yours right now. That way she and I can cross the river together before nightfall."

Ranma thrust his open hand towards his mother and held it there like a rock standing before the ocean. Akane was staggered. She had never seen Ranma like this before. Even when he was about to fall into the Nekoken state he had more control than this. If Nodoka were foolish enough to hand him a sword at this moment, Akane had no doubt her husband would lie dead on the table within seconds.

"Genma," Nodoka said in a shaky frightened voice, "do something."

Akane looked to her father-in-law. He _might_ be able to subdue Ranma, but there might not be much of a house left around them by the time he did. Genma looked down at his lap for a few moments and then stared across the table at Akane. The tiniest of smiles appeared on his face and then he turned towards his wife.

Genma reached over and took one of Nodoka's hands from her lap. He held her clenched fist in his own massive hands and said, "Wife, I love you." Nodoka blinked and turned to face him, "I love our son and our daughter and our grandsons too," he said nodding to Ranma and Akane, "but I still have enough love left in my heart for a granddaughter. I would be content for the rest of my days just teaching my grandsons the Art, but wouldn't you like a granddaughter to teach the tea ceremony to or cooking or flower arranging? Think for a moment about the result and not how the boy plans to get there. He is a master of Anything Goes after all." Genma smiled and kissed his wife's hand.

Nodoka blushed and bowed her head. When she looked up again her face had a more serene look to it, as though she had somehow come to grips with this at last. She reached across the table with her free hand and picked up one of the cookies from the plate. Placing it gently into Ranma's outstretched hand she smiled at him and asked, "I'm not saying I entirely approve of this, but have you thought about a name for my granddaughter yet?"

Ranma relaxed and the atmosphere in the room settled. He closed his hand around the cookie and sat back on his heels. Then he took a bite and said with his mouth full, "Well, we were thinking about calling her Ranko."

o o o

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright © 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma ½' are copyright © 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) Secret ninja jutsu – this is a reference to the anime Naruto, about young ninja trainees with magical powers.

(2) Ki - meaning "life force" or "spiritual energy" this refers to the oriental concept that energy produced by the living body can be manipulated through training and discipline.

(3) Sanzu River or River of Three Crossings - most Japanese people believe that on the way to the afterlife the dead must cross this river.


	3. Chapter 2 – You're What?

**Chapter 2 - You're What?**

A short redhead with the long ponytail stood alone in the lobby of the small office building staring at the directory. Ranma had started letting his hair grow in college. It was cheaper than haircuts and longer hair seemed to increase his chances of getting good part-time work as a girl. Akane liked him with long hair, so he had kept the ponytail all these years and now it was as much his trademark as the pigtail had been in high school.

She read the same line on the directory for the 23rd time, "Reproductive Services ... Suite 101", even though she already knew where it was. After all, she had been here once before to make the 'deposit'. That had been the easy part, a little embarrassing maybe, but at least _he _had been in control of the situation.

Not like now, once she walked into that clinic she would have to submissively let things be done _to _her, let something be put _into _her body. It didn't really matter that it had come from Ranma himself in the first place, it was how it was going to get there that bothered her now. And if everything went well she would leave with something truly amazing inside of her. Something -- no, some_one_ that would grow within temple Ranma for the next nine months.

The door to the street opened and Akane rushed in followed by a blast of hot air. She spotted Ranma and shook her head. Walking up to the redhead she said, "What are you doing out here? They're waiting for you inside."

"I was just checking which floor it's on."

"It's right behind you on this floor," Akane sighed, "What's wrong with you?"

Ranma turned around to face her wife. "Maybe we shouldn't do this today. We wouldn't want to waste an attempt when I might not even be ready."

Akane reached into her purse and fished out the little handheld fertility meter that Ranma had been using every time she went to the bathroom. Akane held it up so that Ranma could see the display, "Do you see what this says? It says '96' and that means that for the next four hours you have a ninety six percent chance of becoming pregnant, but if you stand out here all day we really will waste this opportunity."

"But shouldn't we wait until it says 100?"

"It'll never read 100, Ranma. They told us anything over 85 was excellent."

"Well, maybe they're too busy to take us today. We should have called ahead."

"The meter has a built in cell phone, it called the clinic as soon as the test result was displayed. They're in there waiting for you right now," Akane's tone became pleading "Ranma, what's wrong? We've been waiting six months for this!"

"That's just it," Ranma said wide eyed, "you said I'd only be stuck like this for twelve months. It's been six already."

"When we started we didn't know it would take you five months to have your first period," Akane said while nervously checking her watch.

"That's another thing," she was beginning to sound desperate, "You never said anything about me having to go through that! It was disgusting."

"Well if you don't want to go through it again in a couple of days, get your butt in there and get pregnant. That's the only surefire way to avoid it."

"But... but... Akane, I'm..." Ranma hung her head and in a whisper said, "I'm scared."

Akane stared fretfully at the little redhead. She didn't know whether to hug her or slug her. She opted for a little tough love instead, "I never thought I'd live to see the day that Ranma Saotome would back down from a martial arts challenge just because she was scared."

"Challenge?" Ranma's head came up, "What challenge?"

"Why the Martial Arts Motherhood Challenge of course. The first man cursed to live half his life as a woman that gives birth to a healthy baby girl wins. Our contestant today is none other than legendary Anything Goes master Ranma Saotome who for some reason seems reluctant to join in the competition."

"Now you're just being silly," Ranma said with hint of a smile, "as if something foolish like that would actually motivate me, really Akane," she straighten her shoulders and faced the door to the fertility clinic, "give me a little credit for being an adult," she crossed the lobby and grasped the door handle, then she looked over her shoulder, "Martial Arts Motherhood Challenge. I'll bet you've been saving that one for months, haven't you?"

As Ranma charged through the door into the clinic Akane whispered cheerfully to herself, "Yeah, but it worked didn't it?"

o o o

Akane had been sitting in the waiting room reading a romance novel for about an hour when a nurse with a clipboard approached her.

"You're with Mrs. Saotome, aren't you?" the girl asked with some urgency.

Akane looked up from her book and nodded, "Yes, I'm her... um... well we're related by marriage."

"We were wondering if you might come in the back and sit with Mrs. Saotome for a while," the nurse said with a desperate look, "We finished the procedure some time ago, but we're having a little trouble getting her to lie still in bed."

"Sure," Akane said as she closed her book and stood up, "Is there some problem?"

"Oh no, it's just part of the standard practice, but Mrs. Saotome is... well, a little agitated."

"I'll bet she is," Akane said with a grin. She followed the nurse through a few doors until they arrived at a small nicely decorated room. Except for the hospital bed and the bank of monitors above it, the room looked more like what you'd see in someone's home than a hospital. Ranma was lying on the bed with her arms crossed insolently over her chest and a look of absolute boredom on her face.

"Good luck," said the nurse as she quickly shut the door behind Akane. Ranma must have been driving them nuts up to this point.

"Okay, what's the problem now?" Akane asked as she stood at the foot of the bed.

"Oh nothing," Ranma said grumpily, "just that the doctor told me it was all over an hour ago, but they still won't let me out of this bed! They also won't let me adjust this thing so I can get comfortable."

"They want you to lay here with your feet up so you'll have a better chance at becoming pregnant. Why don't you just watch some TV?" Akane said pointing at the large panel on the wall opposite the bed.

"I tried that, there's nothing on!" Ranma said as she picked up a sheet of paper from the bedside table and tossed it at Akane.

She snatched the sheet in midair and scanned it quickly. The problem was obvious. While there were nearly a hundred channels on the list, they all seemed to be daytime dramas, game shows and movies oriented towards women. She walked to the door and caught the attention of the nurse, "Excuse me, does your cable possibly include any sports channels?"

"Oh yes," the girl said, "Everything above channel 300 is sports. And if it will get her to stay in that bed, feel free to order some paid ones!"

Another hour passed and Akane was just getting to the juicy part of her novel. Ranma was happily using the remote to switch between two soccer games, an American style football game and a Japanese high school baseball tournament. Aside from the occasional energetic expression of pleasure or disappointment, she had remained calmly in place the whole time. Even when the nurses started coming in periodically for urine samples, she didn't complain.

The door opened and a middle-aged man in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck walked in. He glanced at his clipboard and said, "Mrs. Saotome?"

Akane looked up from her book expecting Ranma to say something, but she ignored the doctor and continued to watch the TV screen.

The doctor coughed and repeated himself, "Um... Mrs. Saotome?"

Ranma looked over at Akane with a "well, answer the man" look on her face. Akane rolled her eyes and whispered tersely, "He's talking to you!"

"Huh," Ranma looked confused, then suddenly comprehension struck, "Uh... I'm Mrs. Saotome. Sorry doctor, you see we're both Mrs. Saotome so I didn't know which one you were talking to for a minute."

"Well, I'd like to speak with the one trying to become a mother today," the doctor said with a grin.

"Oh..." Ranma said, "I guess that would be me."

"Tell me Mrs. Saotome, did you bring your cell phone with you?"

"Um, yeah I guess so," Ranma looked over at Akane who nodded her head. Ranma still hadn't gotten into the habit of carrying her own purse.

"Well, then you might want to get it out and give your husband a call. You can tell him he's going to be a father."

Ranma's eyes got big and she stammered, "D-d-does t-that mean..."

The doctor smiled, "Yes, the last test was positive. You'll still need to come back in a couple of days for a blood test to confirm it, but we're reasonably certain right now that the procedure was successful and that you're pregnant."

Ranma stared at the man for several seconds. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell against the pillows. Both the doctor and Akane rushed to the bed. As the doctor quickly took Ranma's pulse, Akane bent down and took Ranma's hand.

"I believe she's fainted," the doctor said.

"Don't worry doctor," Akane said looking up with a big grin and tears in her eyes, "he did the same thing when I told him I was pregnant."

o o o

Akane backed through the kitchen door with a plate in each hand and the phone wedged between her shoulder and her ear. As she set the plates down on the dining table she rolled her eyes and spoke into the phone, "Ranma, you did not get food poisoning from the lunch they served you. It's morning sickness again... It doesn't matter what time of day it is where you are now... Airline food is not as bad as my cooking! Wait a minute... Stop laughing! I didn't mean it that way... Yes... Yes, of course I did. There're two in your suitcase and another one in your carry-on... Okay, I love you too... Bye, bye."

"Sheesh!" she groaned taking the phone away from her face just long enough to punch the Flash button. "Kasumi, are you still there? Okay, hold on..." Akane walked to the hallway door and shouted, "Hideto! Maseto! Lunch is ready, wash your hands and get down here!"

Within seconds two miniature black haired, pigtailed copies of Ranma descended the stairs and raced for the table. "Halt!" Akane called out as they passed, "Hands!" The two six year olds marched back to her with both hands held in the air like war prisoners. Akane inspected all four hands closely for any signs of grime and finally pointed the boys towards their lunch, "Go eat." She patted each one playfully on the rear end and they went tearing across the living room.

Turning back to the phone, she said, "Sorry about that sis... Yeah, it was Ranma. She's driving me crazy... Well, she's been having morning sickness for the last two weeks and she won't believe me when I tell her what it is. She keeps blaming it on my cooking and now she wants to sue JAL... Oh, she's on her way to New York for a business meeting... No, she's going to tell them no more demos until the 'real' Ranma gets back from his training journey... Yes I know it's confusing, but how is he supposed to tell a bunch of American businessmen that he's taking time off to turn into a woman and have a baby."

"Mom!"

"What is it Hideto?"

"There's no mayo in my rice ball!" the little boy was holding up the oversized and oddly shaped rice ball with one bite taken out of it.

Akane walked over to the table with the phone still at her ear, "Well, of course there's no mayo in it honey. These are tuna rice balls... What's that Kasumi? ... Really, with tuna? That sounds like some disgusting thing I would have done before I took cooking lessons... Oh, I see... Hideto, just eat it the way it is and I'll make them again tomorrow with mayo in them. Maseto, is yours okay?"

The other twin looked up from his plate where only one out of the three original rice balls remained. With his mouth full of rice and tuna he said, "I like 'em better this way mom!" Which made Akane smile.

"Mommy never forgets to put in the mayo," Hideto said dejectedly.

"What did you say honey?" Akane asked with a surprised look.

"He means daddy, mom," Maseto said, "You're such a dork Hide!"

"Am not!" shouted the other twin, "Quit pickin' on me just 'cause you're older!"

"Quiet down, both of you!" Akane barked, "Just eat your lunch, okay?"

The twins knew better than to get their mother angry, so they hunkered down and started jamming food into their mouths in traditional Saotome fashion. Akane went back into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Kasumi, you're the medical school graduate. Can you explain to me why identical twins aren't identical?" Akane laughed at the answer, "Mystery of science, huh. Here's another one for you. How does a man who once faced and defeated a demi-god in hand-to-hand combat become paranoid over a little bar of soap... Ranma's plane is only five hours out of Tokyo and she's already called me four times asking if I remembered to pack the waterproof soap... Sure I did. Three of them in fact and the bottle of liquid hand soap Shampoo sent us last month... Just four days..."

Akane pulled her feet up under her legs as she curled up on the couch, "She's also developing a hot water phobia. She wanted to cancel this whole trip until I looked up that the nearest hot spring was over a hundred miles from New York City. Then she didn't want to go because there wouldn't be an onsen nearby. I'm telling you sis, she's driving me nuts... I don't need a doctor to tell me that it's mood swings, I know what mood swings are like, what I need is someone to..."

Just then the twins went racing through the living room on their way back upstairs.

"Hold it right there you two! Where are you going?"

"We gotta finish our game, mom," said Maseto with a flushed face.

"Isn't your grandfather Saotome coming over after lunch?"

"Aw, but he always turns into a panda before we get to do anything fun," Hideto whined.

"Then he just makes us do katas all by ourselves," added Maseto.

"Well, maybe he wouldn't turn into a panda so quickly if somebody didn't have a water pistol hidden in his back pocket," Akane held out her hand and waited for each boy to surrender a weapon, "Now, go change into your gi's and wait for your grandfather out in the dojo."

"Yes, mom," they said in unison as they turned and marched off towards the bath.

"Sis, do you think other mothers have these problems? ... Yeah, I guess not..."

o o o

Ranma walked out into the main concourse of JFK airport pulling her suitcase and looking for her ride. Everything had gone smoothly as she cleared immigration and customs. She had Nabiki to thank for that too. Six years ago she had used some of Kuno's connections to acquire a passport for Ranma's female identity. She had done more than that really, Nodoka might not know it, but according to official government birth records she had a daughter five years younger than her son and they were both named Ranma.

Not for the first time she was struck by how big Americans really were. Waiting in line at customs she had mostly been with fellow passengers from her Tokyo flight, but now she was surrounded by hoards of people towering over her. It was bad enough when she was male, but her female form was tiny even by Japanese standards.

She began searching for her driver. Because of security they could no longer meet you at the gate, like they did in other parts of the world. In Tokyo all the drivers lined up in the same place, but here they always seemed to be scattered throughout the building. Ranma wandered around for several minutes and then spotted the food court. She shouldn't be hungry, they had served a light meal just before the plane landed, but she wanted something...

Five minutes later she walked away with a big bag from Nathan's. She had really wanted fried squid, but they just don't have things like that at JFK. So she compromised for chili-cheese dogs. She had never even had a hotdog before, but the picture on the menu just looked so good and the smell coming from the place had called out to her.

Now she was back on the prowl for her elusive driver. She found a group of them near one of the exits and as she stood there, trying to read the unfamiliar English names on the little signs they all held up, one of them stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me. Are you Ms. Saotome?"

Ranma looked at the card he was holding, it read, "Sowtomay". How was she supposed to read something like that? Couldn't people just cut and paste her name from the web site? She looked up at the big man and said in English, "Yes, Ranma Saotome. You driver?"

"Yes, ma'am," the man said smiling, "May I take your bags for you?"

Normally Ranma would just say no, hand the man her briefcase and head for the car, but she knew that American men _expected _to help women. They opened doors for you, waiters here held your chair, some men even stood up when you left the table. So she nodded and let the man take her bags, then followed him towards the doors. Ranma kept the bag of hotdogs however.

Once in the limo Ranma began wolfing down the sausages covered in spicy stewed ground beef and topped with an oddly liquid bright yellow cheese. They looked disgusting, but at the moment they were the most delicious things she had ever tasted.

The driver stared in wonder at the little redhead in his rearview mirror. It was like watching piranha devour a cow on the nature channel. Over his shoulder he asked, "Do you come to Manhattan often ma'am?"

Ranma stopped feeding just long enough to say, "One, two time every year."

"You must 'a really missed our hotdogs."

"Never have this before," Ranma said licking her fingers and reaching into the bag for a forth one, "This very good!"

"_She's never had a chili-dog before and she buys a bag full?_" the driver thought, "_That's something my wife might do, but she's pregnant!_" He shook his head and pulled the limo out into traffic.

o o o

Ranma stepped from the revolving door and stood in front of the hotel looking out at Lexington Avenue. She let the warm night air seep into her arms and legs, for some reason hotels always cooled their lobbies the way butchers refrigerated raw meat. With her petite frame Ranma's girl form was very susceptible to the cold, so the muggy heat of the city felt wonderful against her skin.

The doorman looked up from the curb and asked, "Cab for you Miss?"

Ranma walked down the steps to the sidewalk and shook her head, "No, thank you. I walk."

"Uh... I wouldn't recommend that Miss. This neighborhood's not so bad, but a young lady such as you really shouldn't be walking alone after dark. Let me get you a cab, I bet I can get you a nice Korean driver."

"No, thank you," Ranma repeated a bit tersely this time, "I am Japanese."

As she strode off towards Grand Central Station, the doorman shook his head, "Well ya should have said so in the first place," he laughed and turned to open the door of a cab that had just pulled up.

Ranma turned left on 48th street. The concierge in the hotel had told her there was a good Indian restaurant in the middle of the block. She really wanted curry for some reason and they didn't have any on the room service menu.

As she passed a small dark alleyway, she heard the sound of someone falling to the pavement. She peered into the gloomy alley and saw one man lying on the ground with another man standing over him holding a knife.

Ranma froze and for just a fleeting moment she didn't know what to do. Images of Akane, the boys and the little spirit girl flashed through her mind and she audibly sucked in air. The sound attracted the attention of the man wielding the knife and he looked up at Ranma. That freed her of the paralysis and she dropped into a fighting stance, but rather than attack she guardedly watched the man on the ground.

While the mugger was distracted he had quickly sat up and was now lifting himself off the ground on his fingertips. As Ranma watched he expertly flipped his feet under him and assumed a crouching stance. With good speed and fluid motion he extended one leg and rotated in a powerful sweeping kick that took the feet out from beneath the man holding the knife. Before he could hit the ground however the fighter had closed on him and was raining blows on the man's chest.

Ranma counted eighteen blows in the span of about two seconds, not bad but certainly below her own standards. The fighter finished off by kicking the knife from the man's hand and it skittered across the concrete, landing just in front of Ranma.

Letting the limp body of the mugger slump to the street the fighter turned and ran towards Ranma, grabbing her arm he shouted, "Come on! Let's get out of here," but seconds later he was crying out in pain with his face against the wall and his wrist between his shoulder blades.

"You wait here," Ranma said coldly, "Not move until I say so." She walked up the alley and checked the mugger. The man was unconscious, but breathing normally. Then she walked to where the knife had fallen, stepped on the blade and pulled up on the handle until it snapped. Finally she turned back to the man who had turned away from the wall and was massaging his wrist, "Nice form. Speed can be better. Not leave self open at end. Second attack may come from anyone."

The man turned cautiously towards Ranma, "Who do you think you... Oh my God!" Instantly the man came to attention, holding one fist forward he covered it with the palm of his other hand and bowed his head awkwardly, "Sensei!"

Ranma blinked and then noticed the insignia on the man's black polo shirt. It was the silhouette of a man caught in the middle of a flying kick and from his head a long pony tail swooped around to form the "A" in Anything Goes Martial Arts. Ranma should have guessed from the moves, this man was a student at one of her own schools.

In Japan, where practically every neighborhood had at least one dojo, Ranma was just another small fish in a very big pond. Because he had never competed formally, only a handful of elite martial artists even knew his name. But in America, where for the last five years his public relations and marketing staff had been flooding the martial arts world with pictures and posters of him in both genders, Ranma and his 'little sister' Ranko were practically superheroes.

Ranma returned the young man's salute and bowed, "What is your name?"

"Russell Vogel. I'm really sorry about grabbing you like that sensei. I had no idea..."

Ranma winced at the man's name, "_Why did it have to be all r's and l's?_" She took a deep breath and gave it a shot, "Is not your fault Ruseru-san," it was close anyway, "You and I go now."

Ranma turned back down the street to where the restaurant was supposed to be, but after walking a short distance she sensed the young man following her. She stopped and faced him again, "Ruseru-san, what you want?"

With a big grin on his face, Russell replied, "You said we were going somewhere sensei."

"No, I say you go now and I go now, but not go together." Ranma shook her head and pointed back up the street towards Lexington Avenue.

"Maybe I should just tag along to wherever you're going. As you can see this is a pretty rough area."

"Ruseru-san, you not yet master of Art, but you not need me to protect you."

The smile faded quickly from Russell's face, "I see, in that case, goodnight sensei." He turned on his heel and hurried off up the street.

"_That was an abrupt exit,_" Ranma thought, "_I was only kidding him, he's as uncute as Akane used to be._"

She turned back down the street and spotted the Indian restaurant a few doors away, but she suddenly had no stomach for it. She couldn't understand why she had hesitated in the alley and it bothered her. She always thought about Akane and the boys when she started a fight, but it had never held her back before. She turned and looked back at her hotel building, "_I wonder if they have ice cream parfait on the room service menu?_"

o o o

The following morning found Ranma sitting at the head table in a room filled with almost the entire American branch of her little company. About forty people in all, they included the major franchise owners as well as the paid executive staff. They were all in New York for the next three days to discuss the coming year's budgets and sales forecasts, but Ranma was just here to deliver a speech.

Jeff Atkins, the president of Anything Goes Martial Arts Inc. took the podium first. He was a tall broad shouldered man with sandy blond hair and a perpetual smile. He had been the first person Ranma had ever hired and had become a trusted friend in the intervening years. He was also the only person outside Nerima who knew about Ranma's curse.

"Good morning everyone," Jeff said into the small microphone, "I'd like to get things started, so if you can all find your seats. Kelly, is the web link going? Just to let you know this morning's session is being sent out live to the fine folks at IGS Ltd. who are meeting in London this weekend. I hope you're all having a nice lunch over there!"

Jeff waved at the cameras set up in the back of the room, "I'm sorry to say that this is the first year that Mr. Saotome will not be able to address us," there were a few groans from the crowd, which made Ranma feel both touched and a little guilty, "but I think we have a real treat for you instead. Here to deliver this year's kickoff speech is none other than our founder's little sister, people let's have a warm welcome for Ranko Saotome!"

The president stepped back from the podium as the room erupted in applause. Ranma stood up and bowed to the crowd. Then rather than walk to the podium the tiny redhead leapt up on the table then vaulted into the air, tumbled end over end three times and came to a handstand on Jeff's shoulders. She winked at him then pushed off coming to a perfect landing right in front of the microphone.

The crowd roared its approval while Ranma adjusted the mic into a position more suitable for someone of her height. When the applause died down, she said into the microphone, "Good morning!" Acting more like a middle school class than a room full of businessmen, they all shouted back, "Good morning sensei!" Ranma smiled warmly, it was this attitude that made her little company work so well.

"Lucky all of you, I write and read English better than I speak it," Ranma held up the handful of index cards on which she had written today's speech. The crowd reacted with polite laughter and Ranma responded by playfully sticking out her tongue, which got even more laughs. She straightened up the stack of cards and cleared her throat.

"And so in conclusion, I want to say..." Jeff quickly jumped up and in a stage whisper said, "Wrong card!" After a short bowing match between the two and lot's more laughs from the crowd, Ranma settled down to deliver what she knew was going to be a disappointing speech for them.

"Let me start by thanking each of you for another year of your great effort. Without you -- the people who put a face on the Art -- this company would not exist. You are the backbone and strong legs that sustain us and it was your steady support that allowed us to venture out into new and profitable projects. Others who speak much better English than I do, will explain all this in detail later, but let me assure you that much of the profit from our Internet activities will be channeled back into expanding and improving our network of dojos."

When the applause died down, she continued, "Now for what you really want me to tell you, where is Ranma Saotome?" Ranma shrugged and shook her head as if she didn't know either, which got the laughs she needed to get her thought the next part with out cracking a smile, "When we last heard from the big oaf, he was on his way from Tibet into Nepal. Knowing my big brother he is probably intending to pick a fight with the ab... abo... abon..." Ranma looked up from the cards, "Oh crap, I write something I not able to say."

After a short consultation with Jeff she continued, "He going to pick a fight with the a-bom-in-able snowman!" She beamed and the crowd applauded. "Ranma still expects to be on the road for another nine months and when he returns he will have many new techniques to show you all." This wasn't really a lie, since she had never shown them half of what she knew in the first place.

"Now for some sad news of my own, for health reasons I am forced to cancel the remaining demos and appearances that are on this year's calendar and no new dates will be booked until further notice." Ranma waited for the general uproar to die down before she continued. The reaction had been mixed, a little disappointment, but a great deal more concern. "I know that I can count on your support and I assure you that Ranma will be back doing appearances as soon as he can."

She scanned the room for irritated faces, but found only warmth and devotion. Sometimes she just couldn't help but love Americans. "Now, we have some awards to pass out..."

By the time they broke for lunch, Ranma was exhausted. Between jet lag and not eating well at breakfast (how could a four-star hotel not have rice or miso soup in the morning?) she was running on empty, but before she could attack the buffet and give her demonstration of martial arts eating techniques there was the gauntlet of handshakes to get out of the way.

After a short string of non-descript mid-western businessmen all wearing one of the company's polo shirts, Jeff introduced a tall blonde woman in her early thirties wearing a stylish black jumpsuit, "Ranko this is Debra Suzuki."

Ranma held out her hand to the woman, but was surprised when she did a reasonably good bow instead. She was really shocked when the woman then introduced herself in very fluent Japanese, "_It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Suzuki Debora. Please treat me with the same kindness I offer to you._"

Ranma responded in kind and then turned to Jeff, "I know my English not good, but I not really need translator."

Jeff chuckled, "Debra is our new Vice President in charge of the entire Southwest. She bagged the highest return on sales this year. I think we can put her talents to better use than correcting your English."

Debra smiled, "On the contrary, I'd be honored to be Saotome-sensei's translator anytime."

"Please call me Ranko," Ranma said in English, then in Japanese she added, "_and drop the sensei when the gaijin aren't listening. You have a Kansai accent._"

"_I lived in Kyoto for three years,_" Debra replied, "_That's where I first learned kempo._"

Ranma saw Jeff's eyes rolling, so she said, "_We can talk later, okay?_"

Debra smiled, "Sure, I'd like that."

Not for the first time, Ranma detected that there was something more implied in that response than she was privy too. Just being a woman, even a pregnant one, still didn't let her understand them any better. They shook hands and Debra headed off to the buffet at the back of the room.

"I have one more person I'd like you to meet Ranko," Jeff said with an air of pride, "He's the first national Grand-Master Champion that the Anything Goes schools here in America have produced. This is Russell Vogel from Cincinnati, Ohio."

The man from the alley last night stepped up with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face. He made no attempt to either salute Ranma or present his hand for shaking. Ranma's battle senses went off like a five-alarm fire.

"Grand-Master Champion?" Ranma wasn't even sure what that was exactly, but this guy was certainly no master of the Art. Ranma was positive that Akane could mop up the mats with him and she would never dare call herself a master. Even Ranma still cringed whenever Genma called him that. "He a Grand-Master?"

Jeff looked puzzled and anxious. This was not how this meeting was supposed to have gone, "Um... Russell won that title back in February by defeating Grand-Masters from all sorts of disciplines in a national competition. We were a co-sponsor of the event Ranko, I sent you all the literature on it."

"I'm afraid that Saotome-sensei holds a very low opinion of my skills," Russell said, "Of course she's never seen me at my best."

"Martial artist judged by worst, not best," Ranma did not like this guy's attitude at all, "Also judged by one better than you, not by competition."

"Then perhaps you'd like to put my skills to the test?"

"Now wait a minute Russell," Jeff was beginning to sweat. This exchange had already attracted the attention of others in the room and the web feed to the UK was still on-line, "Ranko is not doing any more demonstrations, you heard her..."

Ranma held up her hand, "No Jeffu, this not demo, this lesson. I will test Ruseru-san."

"Name the time and place lady."

"Right now, here." Ranma's voice was as cold as ice, "First lesson you learn, I not lady," she locked gazes with the American, "Now you touch me before I touch you. Begin."

Russell dropped into a relaxed fighting stance as Jeff and the few other people nearby stepped back. Ranma just stood up straight and placed her hands behind her back. Russell raised an eyebrow at that, but grinned at her and then launched a flurry of punches. Ranma bobbed out of the way of them all without ever moving her feet.

Russell threw a series of sweeping kicks and Ranma simply lifted her feet up and let them pass by. The American switched to combinations of kicks and punches, which Ranma easily avoided seemingly without effort. After five minutes of this Russell was getting both tired and angry.

He dropped into a crouch and Ranma smiled, it was the same stance that he had used the night before and he used it for the same low sweeping kick, but Russell had a plan. As he swept with his leg Ranma was just going to jump up out of the way, so he followed the leg sweep with a round-house punch that would catch the girl right in the solar plexus.

It was a great plan, but Ranma saw it coming a mile away. Rather than jump in the air, Ranma simply hopped up on Russell's ankle and rode it in a 180 degree arc before hopping off again just out of reach of the American's fist. As Russell completed his turn and started to stand up, now facing away from his opponent, Ranma leaned over and tapped him lightly, but firmly, on the back of the head with her index finger.

Russell's shoulders slumped forward in defeat and Ranma straighten up, smiled at Jeff and waved to the crowd. Russell was actually pretty good, some of the combinations had been tough to read, but his ki was all over the place. He needed discipline and he really needed to control his anger.

Ranma never saw the sucker punch coming. Russell had stood up and taken a step away when he suddenly rounded on Ranma with an old fashioned American haymaker straight at her head. It was only the young man's lack of ki control that allowed Ranma to sense the fist coming and move enough to avoid being flattened by it. She felt his fist brush past her cheek as it just barely touched her.

There was a collective gasp in the room as everyone watched Ranma stagger back from the punch and assume a true fighting stance. Automatically she crossed and re-crossed her arms in a custom that was well known to anyone that had seen her fight for real. Then Ranma did something that shocked everyone in the room especially herself. She dropped to the floor hugging her knees and began crying uncontrollably.

o o o

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) Tuna-mayo rice balls (onigiri) - triangular shaped balls of rice covered in dried seaweed (nori) and filled with tuna mixed with mayonnaise. This is currently the best selling flavor of onigiri at convenience stores across Japan.

(2) Onsen - spa like resort built around a natural hot spring. The word refers to the hot spring itself, but has come to represent the full experience.

(3) Gi - the traditional outfit worn by martial artists for practice. In the Ranma 1/2 series, Soun and Genma are always shown wearing gi's and Akane wears one whenever she is in the dojo.

(4) Nathan's - you've never had a Nathan's hotdog? Get yer butt to NYC and have one before you die.

(5) r and l and sometimes d - in most Asian languages there is no equivalent sound for our "r" and "l". What's worse is there is a different sound that can sometimes sound like "r", "l" or even "d". So Ranma is really pronounced more like Lanma or Danma in Japan.

(6) Miso soup - this is a soup made from miso (a paste made from fermented soybeans), tofu (also made from soybeans), nori (dried seaweed) and chopped spring onions. It is part of a traditional Japanese breakfast along with rice and usually dried fish.

(7) Gaijin - the Japanese word for foreigner. Technically Debra is also a gaijin, but Ranma is jokingly including her in his group because she is the only one speaking Japanese.

(8) Kansai accent - Kansai is the region that includes Kyoto and Osaka. People from this region have a distinctive accents.


	4. Chapter 3 – A Hard Day at the Office

**Chapter 3 – A Hard Day at the Office**

Akane didn't recognize the dream at first. It looked like a movie she had seen, the period American costumes, the old New England style home with the big garden and her sisters playing the main parts looked familiar, but it took a while before she remembered that the title was 'Little Women'.

Kasumi was playing Beth, Nabiki was Meg and it soon became apparent that Akane herself was Jo. Ranma made his entrance as the neighbor boy Laurie and he looked very dashing in his dark waistcoat, but Akane didn't like his short hair at all. When Amy finally made her entrance, Akane nearly laughed herself awake at the sight of Ranma's female half with two long curly red pigtails.

The dream played out the movie rather accurately and Akane was just beginning to hope it would end before Beth became ill, when all of a sudden it came to the part where Amy stole Jo's manuscript. Akane chased the redhead through the house, eventually cornering her in the living room. In front of the whole family Ranma taunted Akane with the pages, holding them out for her to take then bobbing and weaving out of the way just as she was about to grab it.

Akane was furious, the harder she tried to grab the papers the faster the little girl's evasions became. This seemed familiar, but it wasn't the way it happened in the movie. Akane couldn't stop herself from becoming enraged, so she gave up on the manuscript and slapped the little girl across the cheek.

For one second Ranma glared at Akane and then started to cry. All the sisters tried to console her, but she wouldn't stop crying. Akane apologized and begged her to stop but to no avail. Then the male Ranma knelt beside the weeping child and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered in her ear.

The little female Ranma looked directly at Akane and wailed, "I don't know!"

Akane awoke with a start. "_What was that?_" she thought. It wasn't really a nightmare, but she had a queasy sensation in the pit of her stomach nonetheless. She sat up and looked around the dark bedroom, half expecting to find her husband standing there. She suddenly missed him very much and reflexively turned to look at his side of the bed.

She gasped when she saw a body lying there and a head of black hair on the pillow. Carefully she pulled the blanket away to reveal a tiny pigtailed imp in bright blue pajamas.

Smiling in relief she whispered, "Don't scare me like that Hideto," she leaned over the little form and brushed the hair off his forehead, "are you all right?" The little figure rolled over to face her and she realized that it wasn't the younger twin after all, "Maseto? What's wrong sweetheart?"

"I had a bad dream," he said sleepily, "Daddy hit mommy and made her cry."

"Oh honey, your daddy would never hit me."

"No," said the little boy, looking like he was about to cry himself, "you hit mommy!"

Akane blinked. This was really starting to confuse the boys, "Maseto, I would never hit your father, especially when he's a girl. You know that, don't you?"

The little boy nodded, "That's why I was so scared."

"Well it was only a bad dream," Akane bent over and kissed him on the forehead, "do you want to sleep here tonight or do you want me to take you back to your room?"

"Here!" he said with a big smile.

"Okay, go back to sleep now." Akane tucked the blanket up around the little boy's shoulders and turned to look up at the air conditioning unit. Maybe she should turn it up if the boys (it was only a matter of time before the other one showed up) were going to sleep in here tonight? The display on the unit alternated between the temperature and the time, it was 23 degrees Celsius and 1:28 am.

She did the math in her head, "_Thirteen hours ago, that makes it about lunchtime yesterday in New York._" If she knew Ranma, right now she was stuffing her face and having a great old time. So, why was Akane still worried?

o o o

Russell Vogel watched his life as a martial artist flash before his eyes. He had discovered karate when he was in high school and it had changed his life. He advanced quickly, earning one belt after another. He continued to study martial arts when he went to college and eventually reached black belt. All of his instructors felt he was the most promising young martial artist to come along in years and Russell loved it.

Then one sunny Saturday three years ago his dojo went off to compete in the Eastern Ohio Regional Tournament. They were a heavy favorite to win and Russell himself expected to solidify his position as the top ranked amateur, but that day they faced a new dojo with the almost comical name of Anything Goes Martial Arts. They were made up of misfits and dropouts from other schools and they cleaned everyone's clock.

Even the novices used moves that Russell's instructors had never seen before. The officials were having trouble scoring the matches because the kids moved so fast their blows couldn't be seen. The seventeen year old that eliminated him that day spent more time in the air than on the mat. One by one, dojos fell before them and in the end they swept the tournament.

Like many others, Russell had gone to the new dojo the very next week to check them out and see just what they were teaching. It was like stepping into a bizarre world where quite literally Anything Goes. Before he left that day he had reluctantly hung up his black belt and signed up with the new school.

That had also been the first day he had seen her. As he walked onto the mats for the first time he was struck by the two huge posters at either end of the room. One was the image of a black haired Japanese man caught in the middle of a flying kick. The other was a petite Japanese girl with flaming red hair performing a somersault attack. Both were dressed in Chinese silks and looked about as frightening as a pair of figure skaters.

But these were the Saotome's, the brother and sister team that had brought the ancient Art to America, and as Russell was to learn they were two of the most feared fighters on the planet. Over the years he had seen video taped demonstrations of what they could do and it was truly awe inspiring.

Ranko Saotome in particular had caught his eye and he followed everything written about her in the martial arts magazines and on the Internet. His prized possession was a copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine with a five page spread on Ranko's rout of a group of armed terrorists in Malaysia a few years back.

She had been giving a demonstration to a group of elementary school kids when the heavily armed men stormed the building intending to take the children hostage. Ranko had single handedly subdued them without a single shot being fired or a child being harmed. The local photographer hired by the school that day had captured it all on film and sold it to the highest bidder.

Russell treasured one picture in particular, a close up of Ranko's face wearing a mixture of deadly intent and pure child-like glee. He had never seen an expression like that before in his life and he had never seen anything like it again until just ten seconds ago.

Saotome-sensei had been out to humiliate him from the start, he knew that, but she had done it so skillfully he had been helpless to curb his anger. It was like she knew instinctively what would piss him off and then led him kicking and screaming towards his own doom. When she used his own best moves to get behind him and tap him on the head like a little girl playing tag, he snapped.

He never thought he would actually land the punch and by the time he realized she was looking away it was too late to stop. Even so he had barely grazed her cheek and before he could say anything their eyes had met and he knew what those terrorists had known in the seconds before she attacked. Ranko Saotome was going to hurt him, hurt him badly, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Then, beyond all reason she had simply collapsed at his feet and started crying. He stared in disbelief at his hand, if he had hit her hard enough to hurt her it should be stinging like hell. He gazed down at the world famous martial artist, his idol for so many years, and his heart crumbled. Maybe he could apologize, beg her to forgive him, hug her reassuringly and wipe away her tears? He just wanted to make her stop crying, but as he began to drop to his knees Jeff Atkins' knee smashed into his ribcage and sent him flying across the room.

o o o

"Get away from her you jackass!" Jeff roared as he sent the young man sailing into the wall thirty feet away. "Al! Henry! Make sure he doesn't move!" Two of the more experienced franchise owners descended on the dazed man as Jeff turned towards Ranma. She had stopped crying, but that didn't last. As soon as she saw what Jeff had done to Russell she wailed even louder.

"God in heaven Ranma, what's wrong with you?" Jeff asked himself. Ranma had called him almost seven months ago to tell him that he would not be making appearances as himself for a while. He was very evasive about the whole thing and had only shown up as Ranko since then. About a month ago Jeff had gotten a call from her saying that she had some great news and she would tell him about it when they met in New York. He had been too busy dealing with arrangements for the conference to meet her last night and now this had happened.

Jeff assumed it had something to do with the curse. Up until a couple of years ago, Ranma had still been talking about finding a cure someday. Maybe this was all part of some elaborate process to get rid of it. Or maybe the plan had backfired and now Ranma was stuck this way, maybe forever. That would certainly make Jeff want to cry.

His cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. That would be Ian, frantically calling from London. Jeff looked over to where his assistant Kelly was sitting in front of the bank of computers sending the feed over the Internet. She looked dazed and bewildered, but when he was finally able to get her attention he made a cutting motion across his throat and she switched off the transmission.

Jeff had to regain some level of control here. If this got any more out of hand, it might be impossible to explain away logically. There were five prospective new franchisers in the room and this couldn't look good to them. He knelt down and whispered, "Ranma? Hey, are you all right buddy?"

Ranma just ignore him as she continued to sob. Sensing that people were beginning to close in, Jeff switched genders, "Ranko? Just tell me what's wrong. Why are you crying?"

"I'm guessing you're not married, right Jeff?" the sound of Debra Suzuki's voice came from just over his shoulder.

"Uh…" he said looking up at her, "not for a couple of years."

"Then let a woman handle this, you get up and do some damage control," Debra smiled and gently tugged at Jeff's shirtsleeve. He got up and Debra knelt down beside Ranma. Switching to Japanese she said, "_Ranko, it's Suzuki Debora. Would you like to go to the ladies room now?_"

Ranma nodded so Debra draped her arm protectively over the redhead's shoulder and pulled her gently to her feet. As she walked past the amazed executive she said in a loud whisper, "I'd suggest you get rid of that," she nodded towards where Russell still lay sprawled out on the floor, "before we get back."

"Don't worry," Jeff replied, "he'll be on the next bus to Ohio."

"Just get him out of _here_… for his own safety."

Debra walked Ranma down the hall to the lady's room, once inside Ranma rushed for the nearest stall and threw up what little remained in her stomach. When she emerged again, looking a bit less pale, Debra was waiting with a wet towel.

"_Feeling better?_" she asked in Japanese.

"_Much better, thank you Debora-san_," Ranma said while wiping her face.

"_It's just Debora when the gaijin aren't listening,_" the blonde American said with a smile, "_So, how far along are you? About six weeks?_"

Ranma stared at her in shock, "_Eight weeks, how did you know?_"

Debra chuckled, "_I have two kids of my own. I've been there already. This is your first, isn't it?_"

"_Yeah, I guess I must seem pretty dumb._"

"_Not at all, mood swings hit everyone differently. I'm just surprised you didn't knock his block off first._"

"_I wanted to, but then I realized that I'd already humiliated him pretty badly. Besides, my dad used to throw late punches at me all the time. It's one of the Saotome family secret techniques._" When Debra looked puzzled, Ranma smiled and added, "_I'm just kidding._"

"_Hey, you're smiling again._"

Ranma tossed the paper towel in the waste bin and looked at herself in the mirror, "_How much longer are these things supposed to last?_"

"_Probably for another couple of weeks, but some women have them the whole time._"

"_Oh great, now I really have something to look forward to_!" Ranma laughed, "_Anyway, what I'm really feeling right now is hungry._"

"_I've seen you and your brother eat, you must be getting back to normal. Have you been craving anything in particular?_"

"_Do you think by some miracle they might have fried squid on the buffet?_"

It was Debra's turn to laugh, "_I can almost guarantee they don't, but if you're free tomorrow afternoon I know where we can find some. We might even turn up a takoyaki stand, if your cravings also lean towards fried octopus balls._"

Ranma's eyes grew wide, "_Really? You can find things like that here?_"

Debra grinned and in English said, "This is Manhattan girlfriend. You can find anything here."

Ranma grinned as well and then tilted her head looking at the American, "_I was going to ask you before. Your name, Suzuki, is very common in Japan, but you don't look even a little bit Japanese, why?_"

"_Oh, I'm married to a Japanese man. He's the one who introduced me to kempo. We run our franchise as a team, he does the training and I keep the books. I take it your husband is also in the martial arts?_"

"_Oh… well, about that…_" Ranma blushed slightly and was at a loss for how best to answer that.

"_Oh no!_" Debra cried out, "_I'm so sorry Ranko! I didn't mean to jump to conclusions._"

"_That's okay,_" Ranma said with a polite smile, "_It's probably not what you're thinking, but I really don't want to discuss it._"

"_Of course not, It's really is none of my business anyway._"

There was a knock at the door and Jeff's assistant Kelly stuck her head in, "Is it okay if Jeff comes in? I'll stand guard."

Debra looked at Ranma and she nodded, "Sure send him in."

Jeff edged his way through the door like he was sneaking into the girl's locker room at high school. He looked around and seeing only Ranma and Debra, he relaxed. "Ranko, are you all right?"

"I fine now Jeffu, not hurt."

"That's good to hear, you scared the living daylights out of me," Jeff relaxed and leaned against one of the stall doors, "What happened? Did Russell actually manage to hit you?"

"No, he touch me little bit. I over react and loose control."

"What's with that? I've never seen you breakdown that way. Is it because you're sick?"

Ranma looked embarrassed so Debra spoke up, "Ranko, you might as well tell him. He'll hear it from someone else soon anyway, I can't be the only one who's figured it out."

"What?" Jeff looked confused.

"I plan tell you dinner tonight," Ranma said in a soft voice. She wanted to tell Jeff everything, but she was afraid what his reaction might be in front of Debra, "I having baby."

Jeff stared at her as the information soaked in, then a broad smile spread across his face, "Oh wow! That's fantastic news! Akane must be on cloud nine, right?"

"No, Jeffu," Ranma said as she laid her hand over her abdomen, "I mother this time."

Jeff's mouth hung open as he stared at Ranma's belly, "Y-you're p-p-p…"

Ranma smiled and nodded, "Yes, eight weeks now."

"Excuse me," Debra asked with a confused look, "who's Akane?"

"Huh…" Jeff said as he turned numbly towards Debra, "she's Ranma's wife," then realizing what he had just said began to stutter, "uh… but… you see… Akane is…"

Ranma decided to jump in before Jeff spilled anymore of the beans. After telling his parents, Akane had cooked up a good cover story for situations like this, "I not carry own baby, Debora. Is Akane and Ranma's."

Jeff blinked in disbelief, "Akane and… Ranma's?"

"So you're their surrogate mother?" Debra asked with a growing sense of wonder.

Ranma nodded, "Yes, Akane not able have children after twins. So I have this one."

"How is that possible?" Jeff seemed to be in the middle of an overload.

"Really, Jeff," Debra said, "This _is_ the twenty-first century. In-vitro fertilization, embryo implantation, it's done all the time."

"Jeffu, I explain at dinner tonight," Ranma said with some urgency as a loud growl erupted from her stomach, "but now can go buffet before all food gone?"

That broke the tense mood and Jeff said with a grin, "Well I guess we better do just that. I wouldn't want to stand between a pregnant woman and a table full of food. Especially not a pregnant Saotome!" he shook his head and laughed.

"_Debora,_" Ranma said as they filed out of the restroom, "_Thank you so much and I'd really like to take you up on lunch tomorrow._"

"_Sure thing Ranko. I'll be looking forward to it._"

As they walked back into the conference room, all eyes followed the petite redhead as she crossed to the buffet. Ranma smiled and nodded reassuringly to everyone. After getting a good look around she whispered to Jeff, "Where is Ruseru-san?"

Jeff whispered back, "We had him removed. He'll be out of the hotel tonight and on his way back to Ohio. And good riddance, we don't need idiots like that in the organization."

"No Jeffu," Ranma said with a concerned look, "Ruseru make foolish mistake. Not make him leave, please. He not master of Art, but he still Champion. He have much to learn and you use him in meantime, right?"

Jeff looked a little unsure, he could barely hide his anger at the young man, but he nodded and said "Whatever you say boss."

Debra tapped Ranma on the shoulder and she turned to find her holding up a light brown crescent shaped object, "_Guess what?_" Debra said excitedly in Japanese, "_They have shrimp tempura!_"

o o o

Ranma waited for the elevator doors to open. It was still night time in Nerima so she couldn't call home and she couldn't concentrate enough to answer her e-mail, which she noted was four times the normal daily volume due no doubt to her performance this morning. It was too early to meet Jeff for dinner and she couldn't stay cooped up in her room any longer.

She also couldn't wait to explain to Jeff what was really going on, he was such a good friend that lying to him even a little bit had made her feel awful. She was certain he would have some great ideas on how best to spin the situation for the Americans. He should also be able to convince Ian Coleman, his counterpart at Indiscriminate Grappling Schools, to do something similar with the Europeans. The only good news all morning was that the South Americans hadn't been watching the fiasco.

The doors opened and she shivered at the blast of cold air from the lobby. Maybe a walk outside in the late afternoon heat would help to clear her head. As she crossed towards the revolving doors her battle senses suddenly flared up and Russell jumped out from behind a pillar right in front of her. He quickly bowed from the waist and in very bad Japanese cried out, "Go-man-oh-sigh sensei!"

"Ruseru-san!" Ranma was truly shocked to see him like this, "What you doing?"

"Please sensei, I only want to talk to you," something about the look in his eyes kept Ranma from just walking away, "Please give me a chance to apologize and explain."

Ranma reasoned that the guy couldn't possibly want a rematch right here in the hotel lobby, so she saw no harm in letting him get it off his chest, "Okay, explain."

"Um… could I buy you a drink?" Russell said pointing to the lounge next to the lobby.

Ranma looked at her watch. She still had plenty of time before she was supposed to meet with Jeff, but she wasn't supposed to drink alcohol, "I not drink."

"Then coffee, at least sit down with me, I don't really want to talk about this out here."

"Coffee is… also not okay," Ranma had been devastated when Akane first told her she couldn't have her morning cup of coffee anymore, "but will sit with you."

They went into the bar and with some exasperation Ranma let Russell hold the chair for her. He then went to the bar and returned with a beer and a glass of water for Ranma.

Russell sat down and took a quick swig of beer, "To begin with, you can't imagine how sorry I am for throwing that punch sensei," Ranma actually had a pretty good idea, but she didn't say so, "I have no excuse and I really can't blame you wanting to throw me out of the school."

"I not throw you out," Ranma said coolly, "I tell Jeffu not throw out good student for one foolish mistake," then she grinned, "but Jeffu very mad. He probably wait for tomorrow, then tell you."

"Really?" Russell said, "Do you mean that? Oh, thank you sensei!"

Ranma saw hope returning to the young man's eyes. She also noticed for the first time that his eyes were dark gray, just like Akane's.

"I'll never do anything like that again, I promise," Russell continued, "I don't know what came over me, sometimes I just get so angry…"

"That is problem, Ruseru-san. You let anger control you, should be other way around. Until you control anger you not control ki. That why punch not hit me, I sense ki and move." How many times had she given this same lecture to Akane? And once his wife had finally learned to control her anger, she had become a much better martial artist.

"I know," Russell said, staring into his beer, "I've always had a problem with that. I guess it comes from growing up with two older brothers. My dad died when I was really young, and my mom was too busy raising the three of us to teach me any different."

"How old are bothers?" Ranma asked, maybe this was the source of the young man's arrogance as well.

"My brother Kyle is two years older than me. We would have starved to death if it weren't for him. Mom was always working late, so Kyle learned to cook and also kept the house clean. Nothing ever seems to faze Kyle, his answer for all of life's problems is a fresh pot of coffee."

Ranma blinked, why did that sound familiar?

"My brother Eddie is just a year older than me. He was the troublemaker of the family. He always had some scheme for making money and he wasn't above selling out the rest of us to do it either. You know, one time I actually caught him selling half naked pictures of me to the girl's at school!"

This was definitely getting creepy, but Ranma couldn't keep herself from egging him on, "You have many girlfriends in school?"

"Not really," Russell said after taking another swig of beer, "I never really liked girls much, they were always so clingy. Do you know what that means?"

Ranma nodded, "Have good idea."

"That all changed when Aunt Gwen came to live with us. She wasn't really my aunt, just an old friend of my mother's. We were living in this big old farmhouse at the time. It didn't look like much on the outside and it only had one bathroom, but no matter how many people came to stay with us there always seemed to be more than enough bedrooms. Anyway, she moved in with her teenage daughter Lana when I was sixteen."

Ranma's mouth went dry and she quickly drained the glass of water, "Girl name was Rana?"

"Yeah, she was quite a tomboy. Half the people in town thought she _was_ a boy, even I thought she was a boy the first time we met. That is until she forgot to lock the bathroom door." Russell blushed, took another swig and went on, "She's the one that got me interested in martial arts. That was all she ever talked about and she worked out every single day. It just irked me that a girl was better at something than I was… Oops, sorry sensei. No offense intended."

"Is okay," Ranma was definitely beginning to sweat, "This Rana, popular with boys?"

"Oh yeah, lots of boys wanted to date her. Even some of the girls that thought she was a boy wanted to date her. I remember there was even one boy who moved all the way from Canada just to try dating her. At one time I think Lana actually had three fiancés."

"Three?" Ranma looked longingly at her empty water class. She needed to swallow a lump the size of Hokkaido and was as dry as a desert.

Russell looked embarrassed when he said, "To tell the truth, I was one of them. I think I was in love with Lana from the beginning, but because we were always arguing with each other we never realized it."

"What happen, why not marry this girl?"

"Her father showed up out of nowhere one day and they moved to Nebraska. He was really upset that Lana wasn't more ladylike. He said Aunt Gwen had failed to raise their daughter properly. I never heard from them again and all I really have left from our relationship is martial arts."

Ranma suddenly realized that she wasn't just sweating she was hot all over. Flashes of heat raced through her body reaching all the way to her toes. Then the atmosphere in the room seemed to close in on her and in a panic she realized that another mood swing was starting.

"You know sensei," Russell said looking up at her with his watery dark gray eyes, "You've always reminded me a lot of Lana." He let his hand slide across the table towards hers and she jerked it into her lap. "I've always admired you Ranko, I know we got off to a really bad start, but I wish we could be friends…"

Ranma tried to resist the overwhelming sense of anxiety and get control of herself. She felt her battle aura rising in response to the hormonal surge and concentrated hard on suppressing it. So hard that she forgot to speak English, "_Ruseru-san, you can't do this. I'm not who you think I am,_" she stood up unsteadily, "_I'm… I'm a married man and… and… you're not my wife! You're not Akane!_"

Ranma suddenly realized where she was, that she was standing in the middle of a crowded Manhattan bar shouting in Japanese. She composed herself as best she could and said in English this time, "Ruseru-san, thank you for apology and talk. I go now… have dinner with Jeffu… uh… Goodbye." Then she half walked, half ran towards the exit.

Russell stared after her with a shocked look on his face. Then he gazed down at the table and moaned, "Aw damn, I did it again!" He pounded his fists on the table and buried his face in his arms.

At the bar, Debra Suzuki watched the young man for a minute and then turned around. She swirled what little remained in the bottom of her cocktail glass and signaled the bartender.

"You want another one lady?"

"Actually I'd like you to send a beer to the man over at that table," she pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards Russell, "then I'll have a double."

o o o

An hour later, a much calmer Ranma was sitting in the hotel restaurant with Jeff. She was beginning her second appetizer and just finishing telling Jeff the whole story about the baby, "So, now I pregnant, throw up all time, cry eyes out for no reason and always want food fried. This not make you want visit Jusenkyo, Jeffu?"

"Are you kidding?" Jeff said while crunching on a piece of ice from his water glass, "It makes me want to petition the People's Republic to bulldoze the place and build a shoe factory over it. Just one question though, why are you doing all this?"

"For family… for Akane… for daughter…" Ranma placed her hand tenderly over her belly, "Akane once say I give life for family. That true. This only small fraction my life but exchange for daughter's whole lifetime. Is worth it, yes?"

Jeff looked at his friend and nodded, "Yeah that _would_ be worth it. I've said it before, but Ranma Saotome you are one hell of a man. I can't even imagine what you are going through. What can I do to help?"

Ranma smiled at her friend, "Just remain good friend," then she rolled her eyes once and with a smirk added, "and get us out of mess I cause at conference!"

"Consider it done, by the time I've finished spinning this people will be thinking it was Russell that collapsed in a fit of tears." Jeff started laughing and leaned back in his chair, "You know he really is a promising martial artist and quite the feather in our caps when it comes to publicity."

"I agree," Ranma said between bites of fried calamari, "but he need training under real master. I have idea, but not possible until baby come. I decide before show tomorrow night."

"Okay, but if it involves beating him up I have first dibs."

Ranma looked up from her plate of squid with a puzzled look, "What mean 'dibs'?"

"It means," said Debra, as she walked up to their table, "that our illustrious President is nothing more than a class bully all grown up and dressed in a business suit."

"Aw Debra," Jeff said with a grin, "who ever said that I grew up? I'd invite you to join us, but Ranko and I were discussing some private matters. You understand, right?"

Debra looked from Jeff to Ranma and back again, "That's just it, I don't understand at all. What's really going on here?"

"What you mean?" Ranma said, now that the woman was standing by the table the smell of alcohol was noticeable. "We just have dinner."

"Don't be condescending," Debra dragged a chair from an empty table nearby and sat down with a plop, "After helping you today I think I deserve some answers."

Ranma looked at Jeff who just shrugged his shoulders, "What you want know Debora-san?"

"For one thing, if you're carrying Ranma Saotome's child, why is he off traipsing across Asia for no apparent reason? I've heard him talk about his boys and he doesn't strike me as the kind of man to take fatherhood so lightly."

"Is small world now Debra-san. With Internet Ranma never far and he _will_ be there when child born. I not need him hang around and get in way, have Akane for that," Ranma smiled. If possible she would try and answer Debra's questions truthfully, if not too directly.

"Okay," Debra hadn't lost any steam, "then how come you don't seem to know the first thing about being pregnant? Even if it is your first, your mother should have told you what to expect. Hell, by the time I got to high school I had heard enough from my girl friends to at least know what a mood swing was."

Ranma bowed her head. She needed a moment to think about that one.

"Debra," Jeff interjected, "what's with the third degree? If Ranko…"

"You keep out of this Jeff! I asked Ranko, not you."

Jeff looked like he was about to say more, but Ranma held up her hand, "Is okay Jeffu, I answer," she turned to Debra with a somber look on her face, "I spend ten year on road with father and Ranma, mother stay home. Not see her again until I sixteen. Then she not talk to me, only talk to Ranma. I not learn this thing because learn Art instead. And not have girl friend until in high school."

Debra looked a little unsure of herself now, "Okay, I… I didn't know about that…" her voice trailed off as she tried to remember why she had been so anxious to get these answers. Then she remember the bar, "One last question then?"

Ranma smiled politely, "Yes? What else Debora-san?"

Debra straightened her shoulders, "In the bar just now, you said…" She glanced at Jeff who did not look very pleased. She swallowed hard and continued saying, "You said that you weren't who Russell thinks you are…" she looked into Ranma's cold eyes and began to sweat, "You said that Akane Saotome was your wife…" Debra wasn't very experienced in reading ki, but even she could feel the redhead's aura rising, "then… you said that you were… a man." She closed her eyes so that she wouldn't have to look at Ranko anymore, "If you're not Ranko Saotome and you're not a woman, then you can't really be pregnant. Just who the hell are you?"

Ranma sighed and slumped back in her chair. She looked imploringly at Jeff and they exchanged meaningful glances, "You trust this woman Jeffu?"

Jeff thought for a moment then nodded and leaned back in his chair, "You can tell her if you want. Your story isn't worth more than her job, so I doubt she'll run to the tabloids. Besides, she won't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seeing it myself and from what you were just telling me you can't show it to her now. Even if you could I wouldn't let you get near hot water in your condition. So go on," he said with a wide grin, "tell her who you really are."

Debra looked at Ranko who seemed to be deep in thought, as if she were trying to make a life or death decision. Then the little redhead pushed back her chair and got to her feet, she stepped up to Debra and bowed formally. Then in polite Japanese she said…

"_It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this."_

o o o

Akane fiddled with the earring, trying to find the elusive hole that she knew was somewhere in her earlobe. It had taken the combined forces of Nabiki, Kasumi, Ukyo and several of her high school friends to finally get her to pierce her ears before going to college and she still wasn't comfortable with them. Finally the post slipped through the tiny hole and out the back.

She straightened up and checked her appearance in the mirror. She patted the back of her short hair, it was getting a little long so maybe if she had time she might stop by the salon and get it cut. She never grew her hair out again after Ryouga accidentally cut it off that time. Ranma always said he liked it short, but that might just be his way of avoiding a confrontation. They had both learned how to avoid each other's buttons over the years.

She collected her purse from the bed and her shopping list and credit cards from the dresser. Stepping out into the hallway she checked the list quickly to see if there was anything else she needed to take, then headed downstairs to wait for her father to show up and baby sit the boys.

There was a surprise waiting for her in the living room, her father was already sitting cross-legged in front of the Shogi table with the twins on their knees opposite him leaning on table with their elbows, "Daddy? When did you get here?"

Soun looked up and smiled, "Just a few minutes ago."

"Where's Hinako?" she asked looking around for her stepmother.

"In the kitchen putting away the groceries," Soun said, "We brought stuff for lunch and a few other things we thought you might need."

"Daddy!" Akane said in exasperation, "We can afford to buy our own groceries." For some reason her father could not accept the fact that Ranma's business was now global and that they weren't depending solely on the income from the dojo out back. "I'll go give her a hand… um… is she…"

"An adult?" Soun finished her question, "Yes, at least until the boys get their hands on her." He winked at his grandson's and they both giggled.

Akane shook her head, if she ever found out who taught her then three-year-old boys the pressure points to turn her stepmother into a little girl she'd roast them alive. "Daddy, please don't teach the boys how to cheat. They don't even know the rules of the game yet."

"I never cheat Akane-chan, it's strategy."

"Right, well take the pieces you strategically have hidden in your gi and put them back on the board." The twins erupted into giggles as they descended on their grandfather looking for the missing pieces. Akane turned towards the kitchen, but before she got to the door the phone rang.

"Hello, Akane Saotome here… Ranma! Thank goodness you finally called, I've been worried sick about you all night … What? … Sure, but Daddy's here with the boys. Should I use the terminal upstairs? … Okay honey, hold on."

Trying not to look worried in front of her father, Akane put the phone on hold and hurried out of the room. Back in their bedroom she turned on the computer and opened the videoconference program. Within a few seconds Ranma's image appeared on the screen.

"Okay," she said in a worried tone, "we're alone. What's wrong Ranma?"

"Nothing…" said the despondent looking redhead from the other side of the planet, "I just really wanted to see your face. I miss you Akane. I wish I were home."

Akane smiled. She loved it when Ranma allowed herself to be emotional. "You look like you've had a hard day at the office, honey."

After the short delay for the signals to travel around the globe and back, she watched her husband's shoulders slump, "Yeah, I guess so…"

o o o

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright © 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma ½' are copyright © 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) takoyaki - fried dumpling made from octopus, batter and seasonings. It is usually sold by street vendors in Japan.

(2) kempo - general term for Japanese style martial arts.

(3) ki - meaning "life force" or "spiritual energy" this refers to the oriental concept that energy produced by the living body can be manipulated through training and discipline.

(4) Shogi - Japanese board game similar to chess, it is played on a 9 by 9 square board and each player has 20 pieces.


	5. Chapter 4 – Lunchtime in Little Tokyo

**Chapter 4 - Lunchtime in Little Tokyo**

Debra's laptop began chirping just after four in the morning and she sluggishly dragged herself out of bed. In spite of having been quite drunk the night before, she didn't get very much sleep. The story Jeff and Ranko... no, make that Ranma, had spun for her last night would have sobered up anyone.

It was all too incredible to believe, but Jeff certainly believed it and when Ranma offered to have her wife send proof (God, it was so confusing!) she finally left them alone and returned to her room. The few times she managed to slip into fitful sleep, she was plagued by dreams of animals suddenly turning into humans and attacking her with martial arts moves she had never seen before only to return to animal form when the rain fell on them.

She tapped the space bar on her laptop and the plasma screen lit up the room. Centered on the display was, "Email received from A. Saotome, Musabetsu Kakutou Ltd." Debra tapped the 'Read' icon and watched the message pop up. It was in Japanese and had a huge file attached. She read the message and dragged the file to her desktop. Then she went to take a quick shower while it downloaded from the company mail server.

By the time she was showered and considerably more awake the file was ready to be viewed, so she slipped into a robe and sat down in front of the laptop. She looked at the file header and found it was in a standard video format, about forty-five minutes long. It said it was raw unedited footage, but that could have easily been faked.

The camera ID showed it was filmed with an early model Sony Intellicine, a forerunner of the artificially intelligent cameras they used at yesterday's conference. Able to identify and track different subjects, she remembered that the early models tended to be a little jumpy. This might not be easy on the eyes.

The message had mentioned a bookmark about halfway through the file, but she decided to watch it through from the beginning. If this really was a home movie, this was a rare opportunity to see the head of the company at home with his family. She also had no idea if the public decryption key Ranma gave her was good for multiple viewings or just once through.

She dragged the file onto the viewer and typed in the security key. An image filled the screen and she watched as two women set out food on a table in a large Japanese style garden with a pond in the background. Then Ranma appeared with two identical young boys in tow. Based on the recording date this was probably the twins' third birthday party. People began arriving and the camera jumped around trying to follow them all before finally giving up and pulling back into a wide shot.

Debra realized that she had no idea who these people were and their conversations were hard to follow in Japanese. She paused the playback and checked the options list. There weren't any subtitles, but someone had gone to the trouble of adding avatars. She turned on the option and watched as little spinning diamonds appeared above everyone's head. She touched the one over Ranma's head and a balloon popped up with "Ranma Saotome, Daddy".

She checked out the rest of the people in the shot. She found Ranma's wife Akane and of course the twins Hideto and Maseto. The woman who had done most of the setting up was Kasumi Ono, Akane's sister and a man with thick glasses named Toufuu was her husband. Another young woman wearing stylish clothes and lots of jewelry who wasn't doing much at all was Akane's other sister Nabiki.

The middle-aged man wearing wire frame glasses was Ranma's father Genma and his wife Nodoka was the only person dressed in a kimono. Another middle-aged man who seemed to be in charge of the camera was Akane's father Soun Tendo. There was a little girl playing with the twins and when Debra touched the diamond over her head, she did a double take. Either someone had made a mistake or they were playing a cruel joke, because the girl was identified as Hinako Tendo, Soun's wife.

As the file played on more people showed up, mostly just students of the dojo. Debra recalled that, in Japan at least, Ranma ran a neighborhood dojo out of his backyard. One couple showed up and was identified as Ryouga and Akari Hibiki. Debra remembered Ranma mentioning the name at dinner and got a queasy feeling just looking at him.

Finally it was time for the boys to open their presents. They bowed and thanked each person before opening the gifts. Everything seemed to be going fine until they both opened a package containing a set of water guns. Akane quickly confiscated the weapons and put them out of reach, something the boys obviously didn't like. After they had cake and ice cream the party settled down into small talk amongst the adults as the boys played with their new toys under the watchful eye of the little girl Hinako.

Debra was just beginning to get bored when she noticed the time counter was approaching the book marked place. Suddenly the twins appeared running out of the house with water guns in hand being chased by Hinako and Akane. The camera dutifully zoomed in on them as the main subjects of the day. They stopped in the middle of the yard, took aim on their grandfather Genma and fired.

Two hours later Debra was scrutinizing the clip for the eighth time. This time with the super slow-motion viewer they used to evaluate advanced students whose movements were already too fast to be seen. She watched in rapt horror as Ranma's father was slowly transformed into a giant panda. He wasn't morphing into the animal, as you would expect if the footage were produced with computer graphics. Instead the panda seemed to grow out of the man's skin, swiftly and terrifyingly enveloping him in the process.

It was even more grotesque for the young man named Ryouga. It was hard to follow, because his clothing mostly obscured the little piglet, but it appeared near the middle of his body in the area where ki was centered. Then the tiny form stretched out to encase the man's whole body before dragging it back within the confines of the miniature beast.

Ranma's transformation was harder to follow, because when the well-dressed man identified as Tatewaki Kuno pulled out a katana and shouted at the panda, "leave fair Akane's offspring be!" Ranma intervened and ultimately ended up in the pond. But he had unmistakably gone into the water male and come out again redheaded and female. It was almost anticlimactic when the little girl, Hinako, pointed a coin at the sword wielding man and transformed into a voluptuous full-grown woman.

Debra sat back and massaged the bridge of her nose. In two hours she had seen nothing to make her believe the footage was faked. If this was computer generated it would take the combined talents of a George Lucas and a Peter Jackson with tons of money to burn. And why spend all that money on faked footage to support a story Ranma didn't even want publicized?

She glanced at the curtained window and saw a soft yellow glow leaking around the edges. She stood up, stretched and opened the curtains. As she gazed out on the rising sun, she realized that last night it had set for the last time on the comfortable world she knew so well, a world where science and technology were guaranteed to deliver up new miracles every few years, but never to produce anything beyond her comprehension.

Now she watched the blazing red disk rise through the haze over Brooklyn to reveal a very different world. One in which magic was real, where ancient and evil forces could transform a human being in an instant with nothing more than a splash of cold water.

o o o

Jeff looked at his watch. It was almost time to stop for lunch, but he really didn't want to. The morning break had been hard on him as the mood of the conference attendees became quite clear. The better established owners were simply concerned for Ranko's health. They knew the Saotomes were a little peculiar and were otherwise pleased with the state of the company. More recent franchise owners were concerned, the incident yesterday and Ranma's absence over the last seven months made them worry about attracting enough business to stay afloat.

It was the new owners, who had not yet signed contracts, which distressed Jeff the most. They represented a major portion of the mid-west and they were essential to the company's growth in the coming year. Public interest was high due to the success of the Digital Dojo and its other Internet offspring, so now was the time to expand.

Jeff signaled the marketing people to begin wrapping up their presentation. It was a mixed blessing that Debra and Ranma were playing hooky from today's meeting. He really needed Debra here to help him deal with the franchisees, but he was just as happy that Ranma was out of sight for now.

As the caterer's sushi chefs set up for business at the back of the room, Jeff tried to look busy and unapproachable at the front. It didn't work. A tall Texan who was here to sign contracts for three franchises in the Houston area walked right up to him.

"Yo, Mr. Atkins," he called out "Can I have a word?"

Jeff put on his best corporate smile and said, "Please call me Jeff, Ted. 'Mr. Atkins' always makes me look around for my father. How'd you like that national TV campaign?"

"The marketing's fine Jeff," the big Texan said while pointing his index finger accusingly at Jeff, "what concerns me is that it centers around those Japanese people. Are you sure we really need them?"

"_Do we need the man who owns the company?_" Jeff thought, "_Let me think about that for a millisecond,_" he nodded reassuringly, "Sure we do Ted. The Saotome's know more about the Art than we ever will and so far they've never let us down."

"I don't think we can afford to just hand over our image to a bunch of foreigners," the Texan was coming dangerously close to poking Jeff in the chest with his finger, "We have our own Masters, like that nice clean-cut Vogel kid. That's the image we need to portray in the Heartland if we're going to be successful there."

"_When did 'you' become a part of 'we'? I don't remember getting a signed contract yet,_" Jeff was finding his smile hard to maintain as he said, "Well, Russell isn't technically a Master, that decision would have to come from Ranma, but we do intend to publicize his Championship widely in the martial arts press this year."

"There, you see, we have to wait for some mysterious Japanese fellow to acknowledge a man that has already beaten Grand Masters in karate and kung fu. Hell, we don't even know where this Ranma is!"

"The opponents Russell defeated weren't actually Grand Masters, Ted. That was just the name of the competition, but some were masters of their discipline and we have every intention of playing that up. As for Ranma's whereabouts, I can assure you that I have a pretty good idea where he is right this very minute," at least Jeff thought his boss was _somewhere _in New York City, Ranma had sent him a text message about an hour ago saying she and Debra were off together in search of the perfect Japanese lunch.

o o o

The perky little redhead in a yellow sleeveless silk blouse and black silk pants stepped from the subway entrance into the bright sunshine. Unlike the gray canyons of midtown where she had just come from, this area seemed to have few buildings taller than six stories. She glanced back at her companion, a blonde woman in her early thirties wearing a black tank top over black spandex tights who was just emerging from the underground station.

Debra was certainly dragging behind and was unusually quiet. She hadn't said more than a few words all morning and was silent for the entire trip from the hotel to Grand Central station and then the five quick stops down the Lexington line to Astor Place.

Ranma wasn't quite sure how to handle her. In Japan when someone new found out about her curse, they just accepted it, picked their chins up off the pavement and said, "So that's how it is." She knew Americans weren't like that. They questioned everything, analyzed it from every angle and agonized over it endlessly. Then they might just reject it outright even if common sense told them it had to be true.

"Debora-san, which way do we go from here?" Ranma asked in Japanese.

Debra looked up as if noticing for the first time that they had arrived at their destination, "Oh... We head down Astor Place until it crosses Third Avenue." She pointed east across a large intersection of four diverging streets.

As they waited for the light, Ranma crossed her arms behind her back and with a sigh decided to try and break the ice, "Debora-san, you've been very quite. Isn't there anything you'd like to ask me about last night?"

Debra waited until they had crossed the street before she said, "What does it feel like?" She sounded as if she already knew the answer, but was afraid to hear it.

"Everyone asks that one first and I usually tell them it feels wet," Ranma said with a smile.

Debra stared at the redhead in amazement, "You're joking... Really?"

Ranma chuckled, "No, it feels like nothing actually. Sometimes, like during a fight, I won't even notice it's happened until these two monsters start getting in my way." She reached a hand around and pointed to her breasts.

"But you keep on fighting?"

"Of course," Ranma seemed surprised by the suggestion that she would ever stop before defeating an opponent, "why should I stop fighting just because I'm a girl?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." They came to another intersection and Debra pointed across the street, "This is Third Avenue, Astor Place becomes St. Marks Place once we cross it. Everything from here to Avenue A and spreading out for a few blocks on either side is Little Tokyo. This was a pretty bad area until the mid-nineties when a few posh Japanese restaurants moved in. Since then it's grown into a nice little community. We shouldn't have a problem finding anything Japanese here."

They faced a bustling tree-lined street of four and five story brick townhouses. As they started walking Ranma immediately noticed the signs in all the shop windows. Unlike Chinatown in the Bowery, where the signs were a hodgepodge of Korean and Chinese, here she saw only hiragana, katakana, and kanji. She got a warm feeling knowing she could just glance at any store window and know what was sold there without having to stop and translate it first.

Debra noticed the look on Ranma's face, she could pretty well guess what her boss was thinking, "You're a little homesick, aren't you?"

"Just a little," Ranma said pensively, "Traveling's not as easy as it is when I'm a guy."

"So, when you become a woman you start to think like one too?"

"Well, yes and no. Dr. Toufuu... that's my sister in-law's husband... says that the only thing that doesn't change is my brain. He believes that if my brain changed I wouldn't be able to remember anything that happened while I was a girl, but I remember everything. Even the stuff I'd rather forget."

They both chuckled at that, "But I think there's at least part of my brain that does change. Take my friend Shampoo, she has the Curse of Drowned Cat and she says that while she's in cat form she can do things she has no idea how to do when she isn't. Things like moving her tail and sliding her claws in and out. On the other hand at least part of her brain must remain human or she wouldn't be able to think like one."

Ranma stopped and stared into a shop window where rows and rows of fish shaped pies were lined up on display, "Don't forget where this taiyaki shop is, okay? We can buy a bunch and take them back to the hotel with us. Where was I? Oh yeah... So when I'm a girl my body doesn't feel strange to me, it's like part of my mind knows what a girl's body should feel like. If it wasn't for that, all this pregnancy stuff would be driving me crazy."

"So, you do still think like a man."

"I sure do, although I've learned to curb some of my more macho behavior while I'm like this. When it first happened, I thought nothing of walking around without a shirt on and my rack hanging out for all the world to see. I only do that in front of my wife now. It still pisses her off, but I think she secretly enjoys it too."

Ranma smirked and for one second Debra could see the man inside the girl's body. It made her think back to the night before, "So last night when Russell was coming on to you... were you at all... you know, interested?"

The redhead was suddenly quiet, she slouched forward and slowed her pace a little, "You know, before this trip I would have said 'Hell no!' and laughed about it. I've had guys coming on to me since day one and I've never been tempted even once, but there's something different about Russell..."

Ranma stopped and looked up at the blue sky through the trees, "He reminds me so much of my wife. The way he looks, the way he moves doing the Art, even the way he's always getting angry for no reason. They all remind me of Akane. I hate to admit this, but he's the first man I've ever met that doesn't completely creep me out just thinking about... well, you know."

Debra was shocked, why was Ranma suddenly opening up to her like this? What had she done to earn this kind of trust? Then she thought there might be another explanation, "Ranma, are you feeling a little too emotional right now?"

Ranma looked up and seemed at last to realize what she was saying and to whom she was saying it. Her cheeks tinged red as she smiled weakly and said, "I guess so. This is a mood swing too, huh?"

"They aren't all explosive and full of waterworks," Debra reached into her purse and dug out a tissue. Handing it to Ranma she said, "I'll pretend we didn't have that little conversation until I've earned your trust for real, okay?"

Ranma dabbed the tissue at the corners of her eyes, "I think you just took a big step in that direction," she smiled and looking down the street saying, "Well, the grilled squid aren't going to find themselves. Let's get moving."

They continued walking east across Second Avenue stopping from time to time, reading menus outside restaurants, window-shopping and just soaking up the atmosphere in this little piece of Japan transplanted to the middle of Manhattan.

Suddenly Ranma stopped and thrust her arm out to block Debra's path. Debra looked at her companion and noticed she had dropped into a fighting stance.

"What is it sensei?" she asked. Blossoming friendship or no, if something was going down Ranma was the teacher without question.

"On a hot day like this, why would someone wear a long overcoat?"

Debra followed her sensei's gaze across the street to a tall man with dark unkempt hair standing in front of a jewelry store, "Homeless people sometimes wear winter clothes in summer because it's all they've got."

"Do homeless American's also carry rifles under their arms?"

"Well, this _is _New York, but as a rule... no!"

"Then tell me please, what moves will harm my baby?"

Debra blinked, "What? Are you seriously thinking of going after that guy?"

"Only if he tries to rob that store, he's radiating a battle aura and it's getting stronger by the second. Now please, tell me what I mustn't do?"

"You're only at eight weeks... Just don't land heavily on your feet and don't get hit in the abdomen, but if you really want to protect your child let me do the hard hitting."

Ranma looked back to find Debra pulling her hair into a ponytail and securing it with a black elastic scrunchy that she had been wearing on her wrist. Ranma thought to protest, but the resolute look in Debra's eyes made her suddenly proud to be a teacher of the Art, "All right, I'll go high to disarm and disable, you follow in low to incapacitate and immobilize."

The two women looked each other in the eye, nodded once and then moved swiftly into the street where they had an unobstructed view of the suspicious man. When he pulled a short-barreled shotgun from under his coat they both disappeared in a blur. At no time did either one of them even notice the TV crew filming just half a block away.

o o o

Considering the mood of the room, Jeff really should have rescheduled the accounting presentation in favor of something more entertaining. The accountants, Bert and Ernie, in spite of their unfortunate names were about as engaging as slug racing. Hidden in the financial jargon and slide after slide after slide of boring numbers was good news for the franchise operation, but you'd never know it by looking at the faces of the franchisees.

Thankfully many seemed to have decided to take a nap. Those that were still awake looked either bored to tears or irritated. It was really too early to call a break and Jeff wished desperately for something to happen that would save him from this disastrous conference. When a meteor failed to crash through the ceiling, Jeff sighed and slumped even further into his chair.

If this mood continued to fester among the owners and staff, tonight's charity exhibition was doomed. He was counting on these people to cheer on the nearly forty young people they had flown in at great expense from all over America, but if this is the kind of reception they would get he was inclined to cancel the whole thing and just send them to the zoo.

He heard a buzzing noise to his left and turned to see his assistant Kelley pick up her cell phone. When her face went pale Jeff sat up. He saw her nod several times before she thanked the caller and then hung up. She quickly moved behind Jeff's chair, bent down and began whispering in his ear.

"What?" his sudden shout silenced Bert and Ernie and woke up the nappers. To Kelley he whispered, "Get that on the screen as quickly as you can," then he jumped up and stepped between the accountants, "Sorry guys, I'm going to have to stop you right here."

Taking the microphone off the podium he addressed the crowd, "Listen up everybody, I'm afraid that something's come up and we're going to have to delay this exciting look at non-routine financial transactions for a bit of non-routine news that has just come in. Kelley, anytime you're ready."

The big projection screen flickered for a moment and the dense display of accounting figures disappeared. A few seconds later it was replaced by the image of a man in a police uniform holding up a rather small, but dangerous looking weapon. The loudspeakers crackled to life with the policeman's words.

"...illegally modified twelve gauge pump action shotgun. We have confirmed that it was fully loaded at the time of the incident. The perpetrator, whose name is being withheld pending arraignment has a long record of armed robbery and assault and is wanted in connection with an ongoing murder investigation."

The scene switched to a news anchor desk where a good-looking middle-aged Latino man in a gray suit was pointing at his ear with an index finger. He looked up at the camera and said, "I have word now that we are almost ready to go back live with Micaela Hernandez in the East Village, but first let's have another look at that exclusive footage shot by our Channel 18 On-the-Go news team just twenty five minutes ago."

The picture shifted to a tree-lined street where two Asian women were standing holding plates of food in their hands. Suddenly the camera bobbled and paned to the left where two figures had just stepped into the middle of the street. The camera zoomed in on them, but before it could get a clear image, the two figures simply disappeared in a blur of movement. The camera then paned violently to the right and zoomed in on a man dressed in a long black leather coat who was holding up the same sawed off shotgun the police officer had just been describing.

Suddenly there was a flash of movement at the top of the screen and a black and gold blur seemed to bounce off the wall in front of the gunman and descend straight towards him. The blur resolved into a redheaded woman with a long ponytail who slammed into the man's shoulder with both feet. This caused the gun to pop out of the man's hand and straight up into the air. Using the gunman' face as a foothold the woman leapt back into the air and snatched the gun, then she descend once again this time raining foot blows on the man's head before crouching on his shoulders and vaulting off into space out of sight.

The gunman staggered backwards a step and was immediately struck at waist level by a blur that resolved itself into another woman with a blonde ponytail clad all in black. Her blow lifted the man off his feet and she launched him into the air. She then raced out from under him, turned and grabbed his ankle sweeping him around in a wide arc before slamming him into the ground.

Remarkably the gunman staggered to his knees, but before he could get up the gold and black blur reappeared out of nowhere to land kneeling on his back. Her hands became a blur as she quickly struck pressure points on the man's head and neck. He quickly fell face down into the pavement and didn't move.

The blonde walked over and offered her hand to the redhead who clasped it and let herself be pulled to her feet. The two women smiled at one another and then the sound of someone shouting made them look directly into the camera. The picture froze just as a look of panic and shock crossed both of their faces.

"Incredible!" said the news anchor as that image shrank into a box over his right shoulder, "And now with an exclusive Channel 18 On-the-Go interview, let's go live to Micaela Hernandez in the East Village."

The scene shifted from the newsroom back to the same location that had started the filmed footage. A very pretty Latino woman with big hair and breasts to match smiled into the camera. She was holding a clipboard, which she glanced at often.

"Thank you Dario. This is Micaela Hernandez live at the corner of First Avenue and St. Marks Place where just half an hour ago the world of comic book legend seemed to come alive on the busy streets of Little Tokyo. But was it Batman and Robin who foiled an armed robber's plans here today or could the dynamic duo have been nothing more than a pair of housewives in town for a convention?"

The camera pulled back to reveal a stunned and embarrassed looking Debra and Ranma.

"Let me introduce Debra Suzuki of Phoenix Arizona and, I hope I get this right, Ranko Saotome from Tokyo Japan. Both are in New York this weekend to attend a conference of Anything Goes Martial Arts, a national chain of kung fu schools. Good afternoon ladies and welcome to the Big Apple!"

"Kempo, not kung fu," Ranma corrected the reporter.

"Kempo," Debra added, "is the proper term for the discipline that encompasses all of the traditional Japanese martial arts and is what we teach at Anything Goes."

"Oh, I see," Micaela said without missing a beat, "We're told that while Ms. Saotome does speak a little English, Ms. Suzuki has offered to act as her interpreter as necessary. Tell me ladies, what was going through your minds as you attacked that armed and dangerous criminal?"

In Japanese, Ranma said, "_Will they blur out our faces like they do in Japan?_"

Debra responded in Japanese as well, "_No, they don't do that here._"

"_Then let's get this over with quickly. I'm starving._"

Micaela pointed the microphone at Debra who blinked and stared balefully at the camera, "Well, Saotome-sensei says that the only thing on her mind was the safety of the people in the shop and of the bystanders."

"Ms. Suzuki, just now you referred to Ms. Saotome as 'sensei', isn't that the Japanese word for teacher?"

"Um... yes it is. Saotome-sensei is the founder of our school. She and her brother own the company, so in a sense we are all their students."

"Is it common for students of your schools to be able to lift men twice their size off the ground and toss them about like playthings?"

"Yes," Ranma interjected, "is common technique, require only good balance. Debra-san also very good student."

"Ms. Saotome, it almost seemed like you were leaping from the rooftops. How does a petite young lady learn to do something like that?"

"Not roof, only jump from streetlight. Whole life study Art... um... Debra-san?"

Debra stepped in to elaborate, "Saotome-sensei's family has been teaching her various forms of martial arts her entire lifetime. They specialize in aerial combat techniques, so jumping up on a light pole and balancing there is second nature to her."

"Well, both of you are truly remarkable women. What brought you to Little Tokyo today?"

"Ikayaki," Ranma said.

Micaela looked confused and turned to Debra.

"Grilled squid on a stick," she said watching the reporter's face turn green, "We came here for lunch."

"I see," Micaela said recovering quickly, "Before we let you go to find your... squid pops, I'd like to mention to our viewers that your company is sponsoring a martial arts demonstration tonight at the Roseland Ballroom on West 52nd Street."

"That's correct," Debra said, "It will begin tonight at seven PM and is open to the public. There's no admission fee, but we do request a small donation that will go to benefit the United Nations Children's Fund."

"Will we get to see the two of you displaying your talents?" Micaela asked.

"No," Debra looked embarrassed, "I don't usually participate in demos and Saotome-sensei can't in her condition."

"Debra-san!" Ranma's eyes went wide.

"Her condition?" asked the reporter, glancing back and forth between the two women, "Are you saying that Ms. Saotome is pregnant?"

"_I'm sorry sensei!_" Debra moaned.

Ranma took a deep breath. It was only a local TV station after all. She nodded her head and said, "Yes, pregnant eight weeks."

Turning to the camera, Micaela put on a huge smile and said, "There you have it, from now on the criminals and villains of Manhattan need not worry about the likes of Spiderman or Captain America, but be warned the housewives and pregnant women of New York are not to be trifled with. Now back to Dario Escobar in the newsroom."

"Thank you Micaela. What a remarkable story from the East Village this morning. To recap, about forty-five minutes ago two tourists on their way to lunch in Little Tokyo foiled an armed robbery in progress. The two women are martial artists visiting New York to attend a convention and, as we just learned, one of them is pregnant. We'll be back with this and other stories after a short break."

Jeff had Kelley cut off the picture. The room was now abuzz with excitement. Many people were on there feet, elatedly slapping one another on the back and laughing. A group descended on Kelley and her computer demanding copies of the broadcast to send home to their dojo's. As Jeff watched all this with a big grin the prospective franchisee from Texas stood up and let out a yell, "Yeeee ha! Now _that's _what I'm talkin' about!"

Almost reluctantly Jeff fingered the microphone button and said, "Can I have your attention folks? I think after that we could all use a break, so let's take twenty minutes and then we'll finish up the afternoon's agenda as quickly as we can."

"Hey Jeff," shouted one of the original franchise owners, "is that true about Ranko?"

Jeff smiled broadly, "Yes, I guess there's no sense keeping it a secret any longer. Ranko Saotome is definitely pregnant."

o o o

Debra sat before a small cafe table under the canopy of a maple tree on 9th Street and watched Ranma happily wolfing down her sixth ikayaki. They didn't have to search far for the elusive delicacy after the TV interview. Once word spread through the community about the heroic pair, shopkeepers and restaurant owners came looking for them.

Debra was still a little shaky from the whole thing. Although she worked out almost daily with her husband, she had never been in a real fight before. She could still feel the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush and she sipped her tea with a trembling hand.

Ranma noticed the gesture and set down her grilled squid. "This was the first time you've faced an opponent for real, wasn't it?" she asked in Japanese, "What did you think?"

"It's strange," Debra said while setting down her cup, "I thought I'd be scared, but once you started moving I only knew that I had to keep up. Then it was over and that damn television reporter got her hands on us. It's only now that I've come to realize I was never this scared in my life..."

"And?" Ranma said with a knowing smile.

"And... I like it!" Debra said beaming at her boss and new found friend, "I never imagined that being this frightened would make me feel this alive. Is it like that for you Ranma?"

"Well, I've been facing those kinds of dangers my whole life. It takes quite a threat to get a rise out of me anymore. The last time I felt that kind rush was going up against a guy named Saffron. I only just barely defeated him and I almost lost Akane in the process, but when it was over and I had time to think about it, I realized that it may have been the best day of my life."

Debra was the one smiling knowingly this time, "Don't count your days over just yet, you may have another one like that coming up in the spring."

Ranma looked quizzically into the eyes of the mother of two and thought she understood, "Can I tell you something Debora? This whole thing scares me more than anything I've ever done. You told that reporter that my only thoughts were for other people, but the truth is I was thinking only about the one inside of me. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her and that scares me in ways I've never felt before..."

"And?" Debra said with a grin.

"And..." Ranma chuckled, "I guess it's not so bad."

"Spoken like a true gentleman," Debra snickered, "be careful Ranma or you may end up wanting to have another one."

"No, there are no more."

Debra looked puzzled, but before she could ask what that meant her cell phone rang, "Hello, Suzuki Deb..." she started to say in Japanese then switched to English, "_Sorry, this is Debra Suzuki... Oh, hello Jeff... You finished up early today? That's great... No, we're still in Little Tokyo. We ran into a little trouble finding lunch... I don't know, I'll ask her._"

"Ranma, Jeff wants to know if you brought a dress with you?"

"A dress? Why, is he planning to ask me for a date or something?"

Debra grinned, "_She says that depends on the occasion... For the demo?_" she shrugged and Ranma shrugged back, "_Me? I packed something, I'm sure... Look, what's with all the mystery? Are you cooking up something weird... Well because you're hiding something Jeff, I can tell..._"

Debra listened silently for about a minute then her face went pale and she closed the phone without saying goodbye.

"Is something wrong back at the conference?" Ranma asked with concern.

"That depends on your definition of the word 'wrong'," Debra said with a pained expression.

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) taiyaki - a fish shaped waffle like pie filled with sweet bean paste or custard.

(2) ikayaki - a whole cleaned out squid that is grilled and served on a skewer like shish kabob.


	6. Chapter 5 – Toto, We're Not in Nerima

**Chapter 5 - Toto, We're Not in Nerima Anymore**

The limo picked them up at the corner of 9th and First Avenue then began threading its way uptown through the sparse Sunday afternoon traffic. Ranma and Debra sat silently in back with a large bag of taiyaki pies on the seat between them.

Ranma gazed out the window like any tourist. She hadn't known this much of Manhattan was free of skyscrapers. When they crossed 23rd Street and the buildings grew taller, the sun disappeared and Debra sighed.

Ranma stopped looking out the window and turned to face the despondent blonde, "It's not your fault Debora-san," she said in Japanese, "You said yourself it was bound to get out after what I did yesterday. I _am _surprised they saw the broadcast live at the conference, but hopefully it won't spoil the mood for the demo tonight. Was Jeffu angry?"

"He didn't seem upset," Debra said dejectedly, "if anything he sounded in better spirits than he did this morning, but he's still hiding something. I can just feel it, there's something going on that he's afraid to tell me about."

"Well, if he's trying to hide something from me, sending a car to pick us up was a poor way of doing it." Ranma looked out the window again and saw the distinctive outline of the United Nations building approaching on the right, "We'll be back at the hotel in just a few minutes."

They drove beyond the famous edifice then turned left down 49th Street. When the limo crossed Third Avenue it slowed and started turning into an alley. Debra leaned forward and addressed the driver in English, "_Why are we turning here? The hotel's on Lexington._"

"_Yes ma'am, but I was told to take you to the service entrance._"

"Now I _know _something's up," Debra said sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms defensively.

The car bumped along the potholed alleyway past tall heaps of plastic trash bags ready for an early Monday morning pickup. Halfway through the alley they turned down a ramp leading to an underground loading dock. The limo pulled up in front of an unadorned concrete staircase and the driver stepped out to get the door. They were met by a uniformed man who led them up the steps, through the kitchens and onto a service elevator.

"Is this man a police officer?" Ranma asked in Japanese.

"No," Debra replied, "I think he's part of hotel security."

Ranma looked at the gun on the man's belt, the two cans of pepper spray, the electronic stun device and the pair of handcuffs. She couldn't imagine a Tokyo policeman that heavily armed, much less a hotel security guard.

The elevator opened on the floor where the conference was being held that day and the guard led them down the hallway. When they reached their destination, the man took up a position next to the door and reported in on a small radio, "_Both packages have been delivered, resuming my watch._"

Debra stared at the man in astonishment, "_What the hell's going on here?_" she demanded. When the man refused to answer, she looked a Ranma and said in Japanese, "I feel like we're about to enter the war room at the Pentagon."

Ranma shrugged, "There's only one way to find out." She pulled open the door and they walked into something almost as outrageous.

o o o

Russell sat in the lobby of a small west side hotel where the demo participants were staying surrounded by some of his fellow students from Ohio. They were gathered around the TV panel in the wall above the fireplace watching the news. They caught the first broadcast purely by accident as they were walking through the lobby on their way out to do some sightseeing. Since then they had attracted a larger crowd of mostly Anything Goes students from all over the country, some who were seeing the footage for the very first time.

Russell watched the now familiar scene play out in slow motion. He couldn't understand what was wrong with Ranko, she should have flattened the guy with her first kick. He was certain that given the circumstances and the advantage of an aerial approach he could have taken out a gunman like that without assistance. It was unthinkable that Ranko Saotome needed help, especially from someone as unskilled as Mrs. Suzuki.

"Who's the blonde?" asked one of the newcomers.

"That's Suzuki-sensei's wife," answered one of the students from Arizona, "She's some kind of executive with the company."

"Well, for an executive she kicks some major ass!"

Russell snorted at that, "_Like hell! That was a beginner's move..._" he thought, "_even if she did execute it perfectly._"

"Looked like intentional clipping if you ask me," someone said.

"I'll give her a fifteen yard penalty anytime," called out another.

As the group erupted into laughter and good-natured shoving all around him, Russell tried to focus on the TV because something new was being added to the story. It looked like an interview with Ranko and Mrs. Suzuki, "Hey, everyone," he shouted, "Hold it down, Saotome-sensei's being interviewed."

It took some time for the adolescent silliness to die down so he missed the first couple of questions, but then the reporter asked if the women would be displaying their own talents at the demo tonight.

"No," Mrs. Suzuki said on screen, "I don't usually participate in demos and Saotome-sensei can't in her condition."

"Debra-san!"

"Gomen nasai sensei!"

"Her condition? Are you saying that Ms. Saotome is pregnant?"

The room began to swim around Russell as he slipped off the edge of the couch and fell to his knees staring numbly at the image on the screen. "_I'm going straight to hell,_" he thought wretchedly.

"Mr. Vogel? Are you all right?"

"I... I threw a sucker punch at a pregnant woman," he groaned.

"You did what? That's pretty lame, man!"

"That's not the worst of it," he choked out, "then I tried to pick her up in a bar!"

o o o

The room had changed dramatically from this morning when the tables and chairs had been set up schoolroom fashion facing the front. Now they were all pulled back towards the walls forming a large horseshoe shaped table that ringed the room. Spread across this was a mass of wires and dozens of telephones.

At the front of the room Jeff's assistant Kelley sat in front of a bank of computers that looked like the control panel for a space launch. Every laptop that could be found had been pulled into service and conference attendees were alternately answering phones or typing furiously at keyboards. At the center of all this activity stood Jeff Atkins, a cell phone in one hand and a tablet computer in the other, jabbering animatedly into a wireless headset.

"...sorry, but we're unable to schedule any interviews at this time. The conference is ending and everyone's going home tomorrow. However, if you'll contact us through the company website we'll try and arrange something at a later date... Yes, thank you for your interest." Jeff ended the call and stuffed the cell phone into his pocket. Spotting Ranma and Debra by the door, he motioned them over.

A murmur passed through the busy room as they entered and happy faces turned their way along with lots of upturned thumbs. As one of the franchise owners rushed past them, he turned with a big grin on his face and said, "Congratulations sensei!" Then he turned back to Jeff and said hurriedly, "I've been able to confirm that the truck from D.C. is on its way and they're loading another one in Philadelphia as we speak. In Boston they're collecting stock from all the dojo's and expect to be on the road within the hour."

"Good job," Jeff said with obvious relief, "how about Albany?

"I finally got through, but they can't help us out. They've been putting off reordering until next month when they place a big order for the state fair. All they have is about half a dozen shirts at the dojo itself."

"We'll just have to make due with what we've got coming. How are you planning to handle selling all this stuff?"

"My wife's rounding up a van full of students right now and will drive them in from Long Island," the man said with a proud smile.

"Great effort Ben," Jeff beamed, "I knew I could count on you. Remember our goal is to get the name out and not to gouge people for money, but let's at least try and break even."

"You got it boss!" Ben said giving a salute and then hurrying back to his phone.

Jeff reached out his hand to Ranma, "Man, I'm I glad to see the two of you!"

Rather than shake Jeff's hand Ranma passed him the bag of pastries, "Jeffu, what go on here?"

"Yeah," added Debra, "what the hell is all this?"

Jeff looked into the bag, "Ooh, taiyaki! Let's go outside and talk. Otherwise we're bound to get ambushed before too long." He walked up to his assistant, "Kelley, hold any calls. Here's something to feed the troops with, be sure to save one for me." Kelley raised her hand in an okay sign, but never looked away from her console.

The tall American ushered them outside, past the armed guard and down to the end of the hallway near a window overlooking Lexington Avenue. With a big grin he said, "First, let me tell you that was really great television exposure, mediocre martial arts of course, but a great show."

Ranma blushed a little, "I protect baby."

"Yeah," Jeff nodded, "I figured as much. Anyway it really fired up the troops."

"Wait," Debra said looking confused, "What are you talking about? Ranma hit that guy a lot harder than she should have."

"Maybe," said Jeff with a chuckle, "but if Ranma had _really _hit him they'd still be picking pieces of the guy out of the sidewalk. You've only seen what Ranma does at demos, Debra. I've seen her in real fights and it's awesome to watch."

Ranma shook her head, "Not hit defenseless man hard. Not fair."

"He wasn't defenseless, he was holding a shotgun!" Debra exclaimed. When Jeff and Ranma just grinned boyishly back at her, she spat out, "You men are incorrigible!"

Jeff raised an eyebrow, "I see you've become a believer. What convinced you, the video?"

"No, it was her ability to change the subject when she's hiding something," Debra said sarcastically, "Let's get back on track, Jeff. What's going on around here? Why did we have to come in through the back door? And why is that armed goon standing guard over a room full of the world's best kempo instructors?"

"Fair enough," Jeff said with a sigh, "come take a look at this." He walked over to the window and pointed down at Lexington Avenue. On the far side of the street five vans were parked at the curb. Each one had a different channel number painted in big numerals on the side and they all had a long extendable antenna on the roof pointed roughly at the Empire State Building a few blocks away. "Those TV crews have been here all afternoon waiting for you two. That's why we brought you in the back way and why the hotel is insisting on the security guards."

"But, Jeffu," Ranma asked looking perplexed, "we on TV already."

"Yes," Jeff said, "but that was just a small Hispanic community channel. These guys are from the big network stations and they all want a piece of the story."

"Why?" asked Debra, "If channel 18 is just a smalltime local outfit, how did the networks find out about this?"

"They may be small," Jeff explained, "but they're not dumb. They sold the footage to a news broker who in turn sold it to the big guys. It ran on CNN first at two o'clock, then Fox News picked it up twenty minutes later. For all we know it's running on the Cartoon Network by now."

"That explains the security," Debra said, "but what's with the war room in there?"

"Everyone so busy," Ranma asked, "something else wrong, yes?"

"Right after the live broadcast, people started calling the Roseland Ballroom. They only have one phone in their office so they put on a recording directing everyone to call here. The hotel staff was really good about telling people when and where the demo was, at least until the story broke on CNN. After that the calls started pouring in, so the manager of the hotel came up to ask us for help."

Jeff leaned against the wall and crossed his arms like he was settling in for a while, "I was really impressed the way everyone pitched in. The hotel had that phone system set up for us in just a few minutes, but since there was no time to program it Kelley stepped in to act as switchboard operator. We split everyone up into groups, one for requests about the demo, another for information on the schools, media inquiries, that sort of thing.

"Then the Roseland people contacted us. Based on the number of inquiries we were getting they decided to move us from the smaller venue in the basement up to the main floor. So we shifted into overdrive to scale up our plans for tonight."

"How big is the new venue?" Debra asked.

"Thirty-one hundred standing, but that's before they set aside space for the media. Because we announced the demo is open to the public, there's no way we can keep out the TV cameras."

Ranma's eyes grew wide with sudden excitement, "Jeffu, this mean student on TV also?"

Jeff grinned, "I was hoping you'd catch that. If we put you two on stage at the beginning _and _at the end I think we can pretty much guarantee a least some of the kids will make it on the eleven o'clock news."

Debra paled slightly, "You... you want _both _of us on stage?"

"Sorry Deb, you're half of the Anything Goes Dynamic Duo. I just wish we had time to rehearse a reenactment of what you guys did this afternoon, but we'll just have to settle for a smile and wave... oh and the presentation of course."

"Presentation?" Ranma and Debra said in chorus.

"We got a call from the mayor's office about an hour ago asking about your availability later in the week. I explained that the conference was ending in the morning and we're all flying home tomorrow. So they agreed to do it at the demo tonight, but on such short notice the mayor won't actually be there. Just someone from his office and they're going to give you each a citation for bravery," Jeff gave them a big grin, "It'll be a fantastic photo-op and that's why I need you both looking like superstars tonight."

o o o

Jeff arrived at the Roseland Ballroom shortly after five o'clock to find the place alive with activity. Workmen were busy in the back of the hall erecting raised platforms for the media and the stage preparations were well underway. Compared with the room downstairs that he had been shown Friday night, this one was huge. If they really managed to fill it up, tonight would easily qualify as the largest demo ever put on by Anything Goes.

He turned to Kelley and said, "See if you can find Brian, I want to know how the arrangements for the participants are coming along." Kelley simply pointed over Jeff's shoulder and he turned to see Brian jogging towards him, "You know if you're not careful I'm going to have to give you a raise after this weekend."

"Promises, promises" his personal assistant said with a deadpan expression, "if I want a raise I'll ask Ms. Saotome. I'm going to go find the floor manager before he finds us."

"You do that," Jeff said as she turned to go, then under his breath he added, "and look for your personality while you're at it." He turned around just as Brian reached him, "You know I just love that girl."

Brian smiled, "We all do boss, she's amazing."

"So," Jeff said, clearing away the cobwebs and getting down to business, "how're things going backstage?"

"Pretty much all set," said the stocky southerner from North Carolina, "We had a go of it getting that load of concrete blocks moved from one stage door to the other, but the ESPN crew let us borrow their forklift."

"Oh, that was nice of them," Jeff did a double take, "did you say ESPN? The sports channel ESPN?"

"Uh... yeah, they pulled in with a tractor trailer about half an hour ago, really ticked off the floor manager too. Their truck takes up almost half the curb space he had set aside for the media."

Jeff looked over his shoulder in the direction where Kelley had just disappeared, "How _does _that girl know these things?" he mumbled, "Well, keep up the good work Brian. Let me know if there's anything you need."

"Right boss!" Brian said as he jogged off towards the stage.

Jeff smiled to himself, "The sports channel brought the big truck, eh? God, I love it when a plan comes together!"

Ten minutes later Jeff had linked up with Kelley, the floor manager and the producer from ESPN. It didn't take much to convince the producer to record the whole sixty-minute program tonight in exchange for letting them keep their truck just outside the door. It meant they would have to limit the number of local stations that could do live feeds to just three, but the producer assured them most stations were just looking for footage to use on the eleven o'clock news.

With the sports channel producer heading off to set up additional cameras and the floor manager placated for the time being, Jeff and Kelley took a few minutes to compare notes.

"We need to make allowances for any newspaper reporters that show up," Jeff said, "They're going to want to be closer to the action then the press bridge at the back of the room."

Kelley nodded, but didn't write anything on the notepad she always carried. "She never writes anything on that pad," Jeff thought, "but then again she never forgets anything either."

"There are probably going to be lots of requests for interviews, but we want to be selective with them. Ranko's English gets worse the more tired she gets and I don't want to saddle Debra with being her interpreter no matter how much she insists on it," Jeff looked around as if noticing for the first time that the redhead and blonde weren't there, "Where are those two anyway? Didn't you tell me they left the hotel before we did?"

"Shopping," Kelley said, "at Saks."

"Shopping?" Jeff looked incredulous, "Why are they out shopping at a time like this?"

"Because some fool told them to get dressed up only three hours before all the stores close on a Sunday afternoon." Kelley whacked him on the chest with her notepad.

"And that's a problem?" Jeff grinned at her.

"Yes, that's a problem!" Kelley's Irish was starting to show, "Neither one of them brought anything formal to wear. Do you think a woman can just walk into a department store and put on the first dress she sees?"

"I'm guessing the answer to that is... no?"

"Damn right it's no! You'll be lucky to see those two before the houselights go down and it would serve you right too," Kelley turned in a huff and stalked off in search someone else in need of her attention.

"That's just what I always wanted in an assistant," Jeff said to himself while watching her storm off, "quiet, demure and venomous."

Meanwhile, on the second floor of Saks Fifth Avenue store Debra Suzuki was about to admit defeat. The shopping assistant they had been assigned was showing her yet another tiny gown, which wasn't at all suitable for Ranma to wear, "It looks... it looks like a prom dress."

"Well..." the young woman said timidly, "that's because it is a prom dress. Your daughter is very hard to fit, she's so tiny and yet so... you know, busty."

"She's not my daughter," Debra sighed, "and I understand the difficulty, but you can't tell me that somewhere on four floors of designer women's wear there isn't one single gown that will fit a Japanese woman with large breasts."

"No ma'am," the girl said dejectedly, "I'll go have another look in the juniors department."

Debra sighed. This was exasperating. They had been at it for over an hour now and had nothing to show for all the effort. Of course Ranma was no help at all, the martial artist turned celebrity was showing off her typically male lack of interest in clothes shopping.

It was as bad as shopping with her husband, except Kozuma would usually find himself a quiet place to sit down and watch sports wrap-ups on his cell phone. Ranma on the other hand was in a constant state of motion. The last time she needed the redhead for a fitting she found her in men's casual wear on the sixth floor looking at golf shirts.

Debra was just contemplating the possibilities of committing seppuku with a coat hanger when Ranma stuck her head into the dressing room, "_Hey Debora-san,_" she said in Japanese, "_come take a look at something I just found._"

"_Ranma, I told you we don't have time to look at baby clothes or toys._"

"_No, no. This is for us... to wear tonight._"

Debra cocked her head skeptically, "_You... found a dress?_"

"_Two of them!_" Ranma declared with a big grin, "_One for each of us._"

Debra suppressed another sigh as she stood up, "I might as well humor the boss," she thought. They met up with the shopping assistant on the way out and Debra only needed one glimpse of shiny pink fabric to say, "Not a snowball's chance! Follow us."

Ranma led them up the escalator to the third floor, walking right past Calvin Kline and DKNY to the back of the store. She stopped and gestured dramatically, "What you think?"

Debra smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, but the impact didn't change the absurdity of the scene before her. "Ranma, this is the bridal department. We can't wear wedding gowns!"

"Not white ones," Ranma said looking a little hurt, "Chinese ones!" she pointed to the side of the room filled with bride's maids' gowns. Standing just inside the archway were two bald faceless manikins dressed in Chinese inspired silk cocktail gowns. One manikin was shorter than the other and had a remarkably full bosom for something that was supposed to represent a teenager.

"Oh my God," cried out the shopping assistant, "I forgot all about the new Vera Wang collection. We have these in rack sizes all the way down to junior petite!"

As the shopping girl ran off to look for the right sizes, Debra regarded her boss with amazement, "How long did you say you've been stuck in that female body?"

"Eight month... why?"

"Because I think some of the girl stuff is beginning to sink in. I'm going to consult you the next time I need a great dress in a hurry."

Ranma chuckled, "Beginner luck."

"Whatever it is, this'll work out great. Assuming she can find ones to fit us both, we still have time for hair and makeup before they lock the doors on us."

Ranma's face fell, "What mean hair and... m-makeup?"

o o o

A small crowd gathered in the middle of the empty Roseland Ballroom, they only looked small because the room around them was so huge. Everyone from the conference was there, everyone that is except the two people who were responsible for turning tonight's demo into such a media circus to begin with.

With half an hour left before the doors opened to the public, everything was ready with one exception and that was being hoisted above the stage as they all watched.

"I can't believe our luck, Jeff," Brian was saying, "There are only a dozen of these things in the country and this one was just delivered to the guy on Friday. They hadn't even uncrated it yet."

"So how did we get it?"

"Pure luck really. We couldn't find anyone to make us a larger banner than the one we were going to use downstairs and then this guy calls up out of the blue. Says he owns a company that outfits concert tours and wants to know if we need anything. See, his son's a student at the Meadowlands dojo and they're big fans of Ranma and Ranko. One thing leads to another and I tell him about the banner problem. That's when he tells me about this thing."

"And what exactly is this again, some kind of video projection screen?"

"Not really, it works more like those signs out on the highway with the little dots that flip over to form the words. It's the same technology they use to make electronic books, but this thing is forty feet wide and thirty feet tall. It's just a black curtain until you plug in a computer image."

Up on the stage a man with a young boy at his side turned and shouted down to them, "We're ready up here!"

Brian turned to Kelley and said, "Okay, just start the program and drag in whatever graphic file you want displayed."

Kelley fiddled with the tablet computer she was holding and then the crowd all gasped in unison. At the back of the stage a gigantic billboard of the full-color flying kick Anything Goes logo featuring Ranko had just magically appeared.

Jeff shook his head in astonishment, "That's freaking amazing Brian. Not that I really care after seeing that, but what's this thing costing us?"

"Just a meet and greet with Ranko. I promised him some autographed pictures too."

"Get him and his kid shirts, the really nice embroidered ones, and make sure they have VIP spots up next to the stage," Jeff turned and slapped Brian on the back, "Freakin' amazing, man!"

He stepped over to Kelley and said quietly, "Have some fun with that thing and then take a break for the rest of the night, okay?" She gave him a 'Do I gotta?' look and then nodded. "Good girl. Now there's just one thing missing..."

"Jeffu! Prepare to die!"

Jeff froze at the sound of the high-pitched soprano voice. He had heard too many stories about the Nerima Wrecking Crew and the origins of that challenge to take it lightly. With his guard on high alert, he turned slowly to face his opponent. Then his eyes popped out of their sockets and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

Debra stood to one side, dressed in a slinky black evening gown with a high Chinese collar and practically no back all the way down to her waist. Her hair was pulled up into a bun with black lacquered chopsticks sticking out of one side. Her makeup had been done specifically to make her look more Oriental with high cheekbones and elongated eyes. She looked for all the world like the villain in an old Indiana Jones type movie.

Beside her and looking none too happy was a woman Jeff barely recognized. Wearing virtually the same dress as Debra except that it was blood red, Ranma was actually wearing high heels. Her hair had been done in odango style with two dumpling shaped buns on either side from which long strands of red hair flowed. Combined with her current scowl of displeasure she looked like a malevolent Japanese-Irish version of Sailor Moon.

What was most striking to Jeff was the fact that Ranma was wearing makeup and the effect was dazzling. He had always considered his friend's feminine beauty a sinister aspect of the curse, but to see it now in all its glory was to understand the magnificence of womanhood. And all he could think to say was "Wow!"

"No wow me, this your fault!" Ranma fumed, "Akane try ten year make me wear lipstick, now stuff not come off!"

"It's lip tint," Debra said as gently as she could without laughing, "It comes off with makeup remover. Ranma, are you sure you're feeling okay? You weren't nearly this worked up in the limo."

"_I'm fine!_" Ranma shouted in Japanese, then she looked at Debra and her shoulders slumped, "_No I'm not... Aw, damn it!_" then she began to cry.

Debra turned to Kelley, "Where's the ladies' room?"

"I'll take her Ms. Suzuki," Kelley said as she walked over and took Ranma's arm, "This way Saotome-sama."

When they had disappeared behind the stage Jeff approached Debra, "How'd you do it? The greatest minds in the world have been trying to get that boy in a dress for years and you get him in high heels and makeup to boot!"

"It wasn't me Jeff," Debra said with an evil grin, "It was Rene."

"Who's Rene? Some dominatrix girlfriend of yours?"

"No," Debra laughed, "just the stylist at Saks and he's definitely not a girl. Just a six foot three gay black man with a shaved head, earrings and a rainbow colored tube top. I don't think Ranma has ever met up with that slice of American culture before and she was terrified of him. Did everything he told her to without so much as a peep."

"And you enjoyed every minute," Jeff said with a grin, "didn't you?"

Debra just smiled, crossed her arms and headed off in the direction Kelley had taken Ranma. Jeff watched her walk away with growing appreciation of her obvious and ample talents. "Those outfits were definitely designed to look better from behind."

o o o

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Anything Goes Martial Arts!" Jeff stood at the center of the stage and gazed out at the packed house. "Before we show you what our form of martial arts is all about, we have a quick presentation to make. Please help me welcome from the office of the Mayor of New York City, Ms. Abby Hemming, from the Lower East Village Development Association, Mr. Ken Suzuhara, and from the New York Police Department, Captain Mike Kessel," There was a nice round of applause from the audience as the three walked on stage.

"Now please say hello to Vice President of Operations for the Southwestern United States, Ms. Debra Suzuki!" At first there was only a spattering of applause from people who thought they recognized the name, but the moment Debra stepped out into the stage lights the room went nuts. She hesitated for a moment then waved to the crowd and walked timidly to the front of the stage. Finally at her urging the crowd settled down.

"I would now like to introduce to you," Jeff started the introduction slowly and built up speed as he went along, "the person responsible for us being here tonight. Not only is she one the of the world's greatest martial artists. Not only is she the person who brought this ancient and mystical Art to our shores. Not only is she a natural beauty and a wonder to behold. She's also _my _boss. Let's give it up for Ranko Saotome!"

Ranma bounded into view to thunderous applause, but the moment she reached the front of the stage it died away as the audience finally got their first good look at the little Japanese woman who had been the talk of the news programs all day. Looking puzzled Ranma continued to wave to the crowd even as the silence grew. Then someone made a loud wolf whistle that pretty well summed up the thoughts of every man in the room and it was quickly followed by more whistles, hoots and cheers as the applause returned even louder.

They made quick work of the presentations in which Ranma and Debra were awarded a commemorative plaque and the day was declared Anything Goes Martial Arts Day in the city. The police Captain made them honorary police officers complete with badges and a certificate. Then the man from the development association gave them the key to Little Tokyo. After a round of photographs the stage was cleared and the forty or so participants lined up to do katas.

First everyone did a warm up kata. Then the younger students sat at the edge of the stage while the more advanced students did ever more complex ones, those involving aerial forms had the audience oohing and aahing.

Then the stage was cleared and the instructors came out to demonstrate various techniques such as throws, blocks, feints and attacks using students as opponents. A weapons segment followed where the instructors disarmed multiple attackers wielding all sorts of ancient and modern weapons. Finally a display of aerial combat between two of the instructors was performed that seemed to defy gravity over and over again.

Jeff took the stage to introduce Russell. The young man looked decidedly uncomfortable when his championship title was announced and he glanced offstage to gauge Ranma's temper, but her expression was unreadable. He performed his own extremely difficult kata and then spared with three other instructors at once.

Finally a string of gi-clad students marched out on stage carrying large flat concrete blocks. They stacked them just to the left of center stage on top of frame that left about six inches of empty space below the stack. The current world record was twenty blocks, but Russell was only going to break eighteen tonight as a demonstration.

Russell took a stance behind the stack facing the crowd and after a few false starts to get himself warmed up and properly aligned he smashed his elbow into the stack and it split down the middle, crumbling and falling in on itself. The audience roared its approval and Russell took a quick, but reserved bow.

Then he stared bewildered as a line of students marched onto the stage carrying more concrete blocks. They began building another stack right at the center stage. He looked around offstage for some explanation, but everyone seemed to be as clueless about this unscheduled development as he was. When the stack was as tall as the one he had broken, four more students appeared to raise the total number of blocks to twenty-two.

Just when Russell was beginning to think this was someone's idea of a joke, Ranma and Debra stepped out onto the stage. They walked up to the new stack of blocks waving and smiling to the audience and Russell began to inch his way off the stage.

"Ruseru-san," Ranma hissed at him through her big stage smile, "no leave yet. Come here!"

Russell stopped in his tracks and then edged closer to the two beautiful women at center stage. He tried to stand behind and a little away from them, but Ranma leaned over and dragged him by the cuff of his gi to stand right beside her. Then she held up her hands to silence the audience.

She positioned Russell and Debra on either side of the stack of blocks and told them, "Not move whatever happen." Then Ranma looked over her shoulder and waved two very young students out onto the stage. One was carrying a glass full of water and the other a white silk scarf. She bowed to the youngsters and took the items from them.

"Ruseru-san, hold out hand palm up." she commanded and when he did she set the glass of water on it, "No spill water, whatever happen. Now, put other hand here." She pointed to a spot at the edge of the top block and he laid his other hand there, "Very important, never move hand from block until I say." Russell had no idea what she was planning to do, but he nervously nodded agreement.

"Master of Art know more than student, more than instructor. Art is more than kata and technique. Art is also power."

Ranma draped the scarf over the top of the blocks and placed her own hand palm down on top of it. Russell stared at her hand, was she really planning to break the world record by two blocks? He looked up and she locked her gaze on him, suddenly he saw that same look in her eyes as the day before and she seemed to somehow grow taller. What was she doing? The room seemed to suddenly grow cold around him as fear crept into his mind.

He realized that he was holding his breath and when he let it out it fogged in the air before his eyes. He heard a crackling noise and when he looked at the glass in his hand it was quickly frosting over and a spider web of ice crystals raced across the water's surface. He heard the sound of wind circling above his head, but didn't dare look up at it. His hands began to tremble from the cold and he almost jerked his hand away from the blocks, but panic suddenly gripped him and he was paralyzed, unable to move.

The sound of the swirling winds grew louder and the people in the front rows of the audience began to back away from the stage, unsure just what was happening. Then suddenly Ranma's shoulder twitched slightly, there was a single shrill bang and silence descended over the hall.

Russell stared at the stack of blocks, expecting it to crumble from the force of whatever blast Ranko had unleashed upon it, but it appeared undamaged. Ranma lifted her hand and the delicate silk scarf didn't have a mark on it. Russell was completely bewildered about what just happened.

Ranma smiled first at Russell and then at the audience. She reached over and took the glass from Russell's hand and turned it upside down, letting a solid lump of ice shaped like the inside of the glass clatter across the stage. Then she grabbed Russell's hand from the blocks and held it up so the crowd could see it was unharmed. The audience applauded with some reservation, not really sure what was going on.

Ranma leaned close to Russell's ear and whispered quickly, "In one year I return. Test you again. Same rule, but no game this time, I not hold back. You touch once, I make you first Master of Art in America. You lose, you study my dojo Tokyo until truly become master."

Russell turned and stared at her in shock and disbelief, but the look in her eyes told him she was deadly serious. He was completely overwhelmed by her presence and he nodded his agreement almost mechanically.

"Good," she said tersely, "Train very hard, study very hard, and one more thing..." With a flourish she grabbed the edge of the scarf and whipped it away revealing a three-inch wide circular hole drilled cleanly through the entire stack of concrete blocks. As she stepped past the flabbergasted young man she whispered, "you learn Japanese."

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) taiyaki - a fish shaped waffle like pie filled with sweet bean paste or custard.

(2) kempo - general term for Japanese style martial arts.

(3) seppuku - the ritual of committing honorable suicide by disembowelment.

(4) odango - the word means 'dumpling', but is often used to describe a hairstyle characterized by small nearly-spherical shaped hair buns.

(5) kata - this is an established pattern of martial arts moves used either for practice, exhibition or to warm up before a match.


	7. Chapter 6 – Just One Big Happy Family

**Chapter 6 - Just One Big Happy Family**

Nabiki finished putting polish over the chip in her fingernail and blew on it to make it dry faster. She continued blowing on it as she got up from the vanity and walked across the bedroom to stand in front of the windows. Looking out over the skyline of Las Vegas she whispered in English, "I love this town. I'm really going to miss this view."

She gazed out past the Luxor pyramid and the Stratosphere Tower to the construction cranes silhouetted against the setting sun. Their new place would look eastward towards the rising sun rather than west towards 'home'. Maybe the time had come to stop looking to Japan as 'home'.

Things were beginning to change in her life again, only this time they were on a scale that threatened to crack her famous ice queen façade once and for all. She fingered Tatewaki's latest gift, the one she never expected to get from the big dope... much less accept.

"_Beloved Nabiki! Come hither and observe the extraordinary events I have just witnessed!_"

"Speaking of the big dope," what was he caterwauling in Japanese about now? She walked to the bedroom door and poked her head out. Tatewaki was still sitting in the center of the large leather sofa facing the video wall where he had been watching baseball all afternoon.

"Speak English sweetie, it suits you better," she called out to him.

"Does it?" He looked around and smiled at her. Two years at Harvard business school had given him a pleasant New England accent without a trace of the flowery prose he was prone to using in Japanese.

"Of course it does," Nabiki shot him her sweetest most supportive smile, "now say what you said before, but in English."

"Uh... Come in here, you're not going to believe what I just saw?"

"See, you're a regular William Shakespeare," she said walking up behind him. She draped herself over the back of the couch and planted a kiss behind his ear that could melt the polar ice caps, "Now, what have you got for me Kuno-baby?"

For half a second Tatewaki seriously thought she was asking for something else, but he recovered and pointed the remote at the wall screen, "Let me rewind the tape."

Nabiki pounded her forehead into his shoulder, "There is no tape. I keep telling you they don't make VCR's anymore."

"Well, whatever it is... here... err, no..."

Nabiki looked up in time to see two women being interviewed on a downtown street somewhere. The blonde was unknown to her, but the redhead...

"Give me that!" Nabiki vaulted the couch, relieving Tatewaki of the remote control in the process. She made a three point landing on the coffee table that would have made Soun proud. Stabbing the Reverse key several times made the image fly backwards, then she hit Play.

"In New York City today, a heavily armed man was subdued by two tourists on their way to lunch..."

"Na-chan," Tatewaki said tenderly, "I can't see the screen because your magnificent posterior is in my face."

"Sorry," she mumbled, backing off the coffee table and squatting between his legs without ever looking away from the screen, "I'll be damned! It is Ranma."

"So it was the Pigtailed Princess after all," he said, "I wasn't sure because of the name."

"She uses Ranko sometimes when she's overseas, but what in the world is she doing in New York?"

"They said something about a conference and a demonstration. What I don't understand is why Saotome wasn't there to protect her. You did tell me she was pregnant with his child, didn't you?"

Nabiki bent her head back to look up at Tatewaki in disappointment. She had tried everything short of electro-shock therapy and he still refused to believe the male and female Ranma's were one and the same person. He understood about Panda-san and P-chan, so it wasn't the magic he was hung up on. Maybe it was because he had once truly been in love with the pigtailed girl and just couldn't bring himself to think about having those feelings for another man.

"Well," she said, "whatever she's up to I've _got _to tell Akane about this. Lend me your phone."

"But you haven't seen the best part yet," he said pointing at the wall.

"What's that?" she asked looking back at the screen just in time to see Ranma bound off some guy's face and grab a short-barreled shotgun out of mid-air. "Oh... _that_. Maybe I should let Akane find out about this herself."

o o o

"Camera three, pull back on the redhead. I want to see what she's doing with her hands," the ESPN director was in panic mode. For some reason they were deviating from the script he had been given and it looked like the cute red haired girl from Japan was going to try and break a world's record. If she did, this footage could end up on tonight's late news so he needed to cover every angle with only three fixed cameras, "Camera one, frame up on just the redhead and the guy, looks like the blonde's just a spectator."

"Why do you think she handed that guy a glass of water?" asked the assistant director.

"Grandstanding, she wants to show she can break the stack without making him drop it... Camera two, follow what she's doing with that scarf... the scarf's probably just window dressing, but she might surprise us."

On the bank of screens in front of him, three different views of Ranma draping the white silk scarf over the stack of concrete blocks played out. Then she put her hand palm down on top of the scarf.

"Now what's she doing... Camera two, pull back so I can see her face and the hand. Camera one, tighten up a little."

"Jack, this is camera one, I'm going wide. You've gotta see this."

The view from the camera at the back of the hall widened out to show the full stage and the huge logo on the backdrop. At first the director couldn't see anything unusual, but then the image of the backdrop began to distort as if something were swirling in front of it.

"What the hell is that?" asked the assistant director.

"Camera three, give me a close up on the redhead," anxiously the director asked, "Camera two, are you seeing that disturbance?"

"No, but I sure can hear it!"

"Camera one, stay on that thing and see if you can get a cleaner image. Camera two, zoom in on the young man." turning to his assistant the director asked, "Did I just see his breath fog? It's gotta be ninety degrees in there."

The distortion above the stage continued to grow and become more evident as the whole center section of the backdrop was obscured by it. Then a loud shrill banging noise erupted from the speakers and it simply vanished from the screen. "What the hell? Camera one, zoom in on the stack of blocks."

"They're intact, Jack," the assistant director said, "The redhead never moved."

"Well something just happened, that boy and the blonde look like they've just seen a ghost. Camera one, pan up to the redhead. Camera three, get me some audience reaction."

As they watched, Ranma took the glass and turned it upside down, dumping a large chunk of ice onto the stage. Then she held up Russell's hand."

"Looks like the redhead's whispering something to the boy, but the floor mike's not picking it up."

"Damn, I knew we should have miked all the principals. Camera one, pull back, but stay on the redhead. Camera two, pan down on the blocks. I've got a hunch about that scarf." His hunch paid off when Ranma whipped the scarf from the blocks to reveal a hole right down the center of the stack.

"When did this become a magic act? Camera two stay on those blocks, but pull back some. Camera three go wide on the whole stage."

Ranma stepped around Russell and headed for the front of the stage holding up the scarf for the audience to see. Then a line of students in white gi's marched out and began lifting blocks off the stack. As each one took a block they held it up to show the hole to the audience then lined up across the front of the stage behind Ranma.

"Camera one, go wide. Camera two, stay on the stack and prepare to go tight when they pick off the last one. Camera three, our boy seems to be wandering offstage, follow him."

When the last block was removed, camera two zoomed in on a pile of fine gray powder covering the stage. Debra reached down and scooped up a double handful of the powder and carried it to the opposite side of the stage from where Ranma was standing.

"Camera two, follow the blonde. Don't loose her damn it! Camera three, forget the boy, get on the redhead. Camera one tighten up just a little."

The last young man in line held out his block and Debra poured the gray powder through the hole. Then all of the students held their blocks out so that the audience could see their white gi through the hole. Ranma walked along the line passing the scarf through the holes as she went. When she reached the end she grabbed Debra's hand and walked her to center stage

"Okay everyone," the director said into his headset, "this looks like the wrap shot. Let's make it pretty."

An instructor walked out on stage and barked a command. In unison the students each set down the block they were holding and assumed a ready stance. Ranma and Debra took a single low bow at center stage as all twenty-two students leapt into the air at once, striking the same pose as the backdrop. The audience erupted in applause as everyone filed off the stage and the house lights came up.

"Now, let me see camera one in slow-mo from the point where that disturbance started until we heard the bang."

The assistant director typed furiously into his console and the main screen lit up with an image of the whole stage. It ran forward at regular speed for a few seconds with the swirling blur distinctly showing against the backdrop. Then the speed of the playback slowed to a crawl as the distortion seemed to peak.

They watched the barely visible force as it began to coalesce and contract into a tiny luminescent ball. It hovered for half a second and then shot towards Russell's head. At the last moment it diverted its path sweeping around Ranma's shoulders, lifting her pigtails slightly as it passed and then raced down her arm, disappearing through her hand into the stack of blocks. A moment later a puff of dust could be seen coming from the bottom of the stack.

"I want an interview with that woman," declared the director, "and I don't care whose ass you kick to get it!"

o o o

Shampoo peddled up the mountain trail with practiced ease. The morning air was just beginning to take on the smells of a summer day and soon the heat would settle in as well. Her rounds of the outposts had taken longer than usual and she was running late. She knew she already missed breakfast with the children, but if she didn't hurry Mousse would be cleaning up the kitchen and heading off to his job at the construction site.

As her bicycle crested the hill, she pulled to a stop in the shade of the camouflaged satellite dish that was the Joketsuku tribe's main link with the outside world. As tribal warrior leader, it was her responsibility to keep her village safe and increasingly that meant hiding its existence from the rest of humanity. The deal she made with the Indian military for the dish and its companion jamming station at the other end of the valley had cost her dearly, but the devices allowed her daughters to learn about the world and at the same time protected them from the prying eyes of the Chinese government.

Taking a swig from her water bottle, she regarded the little village spread out below her. Not much had changed here since her childhood. Smoke from cooking fires still rose from most of the houses and the village's main source of electric power remained a noisy diesel generator that belched blue smoke and gave off a heat signature that could easily be seen from any spy satellite.

That would change soon when Mousse and the rest of the men completed the forty-kilometer underground cable that would connect them to the power grid. The toy factory that was being built at the other end would not only supply the hidden power link, but also provide needed jobs for the villagers and divert attention away from this valley.

She looked longingly at the water bottle, what she wouldn't give to be able to pour the remaining cool water over her hot neck. But it would be a long walk back to the village for a cat, so she carefully stoppered the bottle and put it away. Pointing the bicycle down the trail she gave the peddles a few good pumps then stuck her feet out to the side and let go of the handle bars. Coasting along at breakneck speed she screamed out in pure joy.

Brushing the dust off her blouse, Shampoo stepped into the main living room of her little hut. It wasn't spacious by western standards, but it was one of the larger houses in the village. Sitting cross-legged in front of the TV was her husband Mousse with her youngest daughter Lo Xuan in his lap. Sitting beside his father was her only son Gel. She glanced at the wall clock. It was already 9:18 and her oldest daughter Rin Su was nowhere in sight.

"You're late," Mousse said without turning from the TV, "Rinse already left for school. I put your breakfast in the warmer, but I had to pour out the goat's milk before it went rancid. I can't wait until we get a real refrigerator and a microwave!"

"Well the faster you guys blast through the last kilometer of rock," Shampoo taunted, "the sooner that can happen."

"I don't suppose any of the women would be willing to help out?" Mousse finally turned to look at her with a big sarcastic grin. He was so handsome without those awful thick glasses he used to wear. The laser surgery to correct his vision may have been the single most significant thing to happen to the Amazons during their years in Japan.

"No they would not," she said haughtily as she crossed the room to stand over her husband, "we're much too busy trying to keep you men out of trouble. Besides, most of the women are too strong in their chi for such precise work. A blast from one of the warriors would probably bring the mountain down on top of you all."

She bent down and gave Mousse a quick hug around the neck and then looked at the face of little Lotion asleep in his lap, "Did she eat well this morning?"

"Oh yes, like a little horse. Whatever was bothering her stomach seems to have passed."

"How about you Gel?" Shampoo reached over and tousled her son's long black hair, "Did you eat all of your breakfast this morning?"

"Uh huh." Said the little boy without taking his eyes off the TV set.

Shampoo blinked. Her daughter might get away with that sort of rudeness, but not her son, "Gel, look at me when I'm talking to you. Answer me properly."

The little boy looked up with shock written across his face, "Um... Y-yes mama. I ate all of my breakfast."

Shampoo smiled, "Good boy, you want to grow strong like your sister."

"Yes mama, I want to be just like Rinse! I want to go to school and become a warrior just like mama!"

Shampoo frowned and looked at Mousse. She knew that would never happen, but she hated to dash the little boy's hopes so early in life. Mousse gave her a concerned look and then sighed, "I'll have a talk with him."

"Thanks honey," She said and gave him a peck on the cheek. Turning to the TV for the first time she asked, "What are you two watching that's so engrossing?"

"Just the sports news from America. Chou Lin was pitching for the Mariners yesterday and they won. The announcer mentioned something about a martial arts exhibition in New York, so I thought I'd leave it on until I had to go. Gel really likes to watch the American commercials."

Standing up and shifting the baby to his hip, Mousse headed for the kitchen saying, "I'll get your breakfast. Why don't you sit with Gel and I'll bring it in to you. You look tired already."

"Yeah," she said sitting down beside her son, "There are more refugees pouring in from Tibet every day. It's getting harder and harder to divert them from the valley without actually hurting anyone." She put her arm around Gel and he snuggled up beside her.

On the TV, a car was sitting in a field of cartoon flowers while animated rabbits and deer sniffed at it. "_The Pontiac Freebird. Fuel cell performance, at a hybrid price._" The scene switched to a news desk and a crawl of sports scores appeared at the bottom of the screen.

_"The two women who heroically foiled an armed robbery in New York City this morning appeared at a charity exhibition of martial arts this evening. Now we have an exclusive ESPN News interview with the founder of Anything Goes Martial Arts, Ranko Saotome and her interpreter, and crime fighting partner, Debra Suzuki._"

Ranma appeared on the screen standing beside a blonde American woman. Both were dressed in slinky evening gowns and Ranma even looked like she was wearing makeup.

"_Anything Goes is kempo, ancient Art of..._"

"Mousse! Get back in here quick. Ranma is on American TV!"

Mousse appeared and handed Shampoo a bowl of rice topped with strips of braised yak meat, "What's Saotome doing on TV?"

"Something about that exhibition," Shampoo said, taking the bowl and a pair of chopsticks from her husband, "She really shouldn't be doing stuff like that, even if she's only just a few weeks along."

"Maybe she just showed them some chi techniques? She can do those safely until quite late."

"She'd better not show anything we taught her," Shampoo said between bites.

"_...technique called 'Hiryuu Shouten Ha' or 'Heavenly Dragon Blast'. Use hot ki of opponent and cold ki to form..._"

Shampoo's chopsticks clattered to the floor where Gel picked them up, "Mama, you dropped your sticks. Why are you shaking mama?"

"How could she be that stupid?" Shampoo said through clinched teeth.

"Saotome always did have a big mouth," Mousse said, "but I never would have thought he'd let slip something like that. He agreed never to teach those techniques. Cologne is going to hit the roof if she finds out about this."

"If great-grandmother finds out about this, she won't just hit the roof. She'll have the damned fool killed!"

o o o

Jeff walked into the conference room and looked around. It had changed once again, this time it was filled with circular tables at which most of the conference attendees were sitting having breakfast and discussing the amazing happenings of the day before. He saw Debra and Kelley waving to him from a table across the room and headed their way.

Also sitting at that table were some of the people who had pitched in and worked the hardest to make the exhibition last night a success, including Ben and Brian. The one person missing was Ranma. Debra waved him to an empty seat between her and Kelley, "Good morning sleepy head," she said, "were you planning to sleep until your flight leaves?"

"No, I've been on the phone with Ian all morning. Footage from last night has been getting a lot of airplay over there and we were brainstorming how to best take advantage of all this sudden publicity."

"What did you two geniuses come up with?" Debra asked.

"Nothing much yet," Jeff said while sitting down and unfolding a napkin into his lap, "We can't exactly promise to teach people how to throw lightening bolts since Ranko won't tell us how it's done. Speaking of which, where is the Queen Mother?"

"Restroom," Kelley said quietly.

"Don't tell me she's crying again?"

Debra shook her head, "No, it's morning sickness. The poor thing's body finally adjusted to local time just when she's ready to fly home."

Not really wanting to follow that line of questioning any further, Jeff turned to the men at the table. "Ben, how'd we end up doing for the UNICEF people?"

"Great!" the Long Islander said excitedly, "We didn't get much from people on the way in, but they stuffed the boxes on the way out."

"How about the shirts and such?"

"It was a sell out," Ben said beaming, "I sold the very last poster to the director from ESPN. We made more than enough to repay the dojos that sent us stock and cover their transportation costs as well."

"Great job Ben! If you ever want to change jobs and become the manager of out first outlet store, just let me know." Jeff said chuckling.

"No thanks," Ben said with a smile, "teaching the Art is a lot more fun than selling it."

"Brian," Jeff said turning to the southerner, "I've been meaning to corner you and thank you for the great job you did putting together the show last night. Everything went great and I know it was mostly because of you."

"No problem, Jeff," Brian said while scratching the back of his head, "I just made sure everything was where it belonged. Really, it was the kids that made it all happen."

"Thanks to you all," Jeff said looking around the table, "those kids had an experience they'll never forget."

"Especially Mr. Vogel," Kelley whispered.

"Uh, yeah," Jeff said with a sardonic grin, "I don't think Russell will ever forget this weekend,"

A waiter arrived and began setting trays filled with little bowls in front of everyone. Jeff looked at his, which contained a bowl of rice, a cup of brown soup with green onions floating in it, a small bowl of bright yellow slices of some kind of vegetable, another with an uncooked egg and a plate with a smoked fish on it. "I didn't order yet. What is all this anyway?"

Debra giggled, "Ranko mentioned to the Mr. Suzuhara of the Little Tokyo association that she hadn't had a decent Japanese breakfast since she got here. So he sent over enough for everyone from his restaurant."

Jeff poked at what appeared to be pieces of dark green paper with his chopsticks, "What's this stuff?"

"That's toasted seaweed," Debra said with a wicked grin, "First you break the raw egg into the rice, pour in some soy sauce and then you eat it with the seaweed."

"You have _got _to be kidding!" Jeff said while several of the men around the table nodded in agreement. He looked over at his assistant Kelley who was already expertly scooping up the goopy mixture with her chopsticks.

"Not at all," Debra said standing up, "I'm going to go see what's happened to Ranko. She'll want to eat this before the miso soup gets cold."

She walked away chuckling to herself, it really was a very nice meal and she hoped they all would at least give it a try before begging the waiter to bring them pancakes. She headed out into the hallway and found Russell standing just outside the door.

"Russell, what are you doing out here? They're already serving breakfast inside."

"Good morning Mrs. Sukuki," Russell said uncertainly, "Um... is Saotome-sensei in there?"

"Not right now, I was just going to look for her. You're not afraid to be in the same room with her after last night are you?"

"Well..." Russell shuffled his feet and looked away down the hallway towards the elevators, "I really wasn't sure if I was welcome anymore."

Debra tilted her head and looked appraisingly at the young man. This was not the arrogant youth who came to the conference fresh off a major victory with visions of grandeur. He had certainly been put in his place, but apparently he hadn't figured out the obvious yet, "Russell, do you know where all the instructors received their training in the Art?"

"Huh?" he looked puzzled, "No ma'am. I assumed you all went to Japan and learned it from Ranma Saotome-sensei."

"That's half right. We did learn it from Ranma, but at month long seminars held here in the States and elsewhere around the world. The only one who's ever even seen Ranma's home dojo is Jeff and he was never asked to study there. You're the first non-Japanese person that it's ever been suggested might be allowed to. Do you understand that?"

"I... I had no idea," Russell looked overwhelmed.

"You have a decision to make, you can continue to compete and we'll continue to promote you as our top student. Or you can prepare yourself for Ranko's test. I think last night we all had just a tiny glimpse of what she knows. If it were me, I'd jump at a chance to learn more."

"Thank you Suzuki-sensei," Russell said bowing his head respectfully, "Can I ask you one more question?"

Debra raised an eyebrow at being called sensei, "Certainly, what is it?"

"How long did it take you to learn Japanese?"

o o o

Everyone at the table sat in awestruck silence as the diminutive redhead consumed her third helping of breakfast. It seemed incredible that chopsticks could move so fast and still convey food from bowl to mouth, but the food must be going somewhere. Jeff had witnessed what Akane once called the Saotome Secret Feeding Form before, but this was his first time watching the female Ranma attack a meal in this way.

Ranma stopped just long enough to remark, "Really wish they have natto."

"Natto?" Jeff asked with some trepidation.

"Fermented soybeans," Debra said wrinkling her nose, "it's... an acquired taste."

"Good breakfast food," Ranma said, "very traditional."

"Doesn't exactly sound like corn flakes and milk," Jeff said before shoveling another bite of strawberry waffles into his own mouth.

Al David and Henry Mueller walked up to the table. The two men from Washington State were among the original franchise owners and still two of the best students of the Art itself.

"We're off to the airport, Jeff," Al said.

"We're on the same flight back to Seattle," added Henry.

Jeff wiped his hands on his napkin and stood up to shake their hands, "Thanks for all your help this weekend guys. Have a safe trip home."

"This has been hands down the most interesting annual meeting yet," Al said, "I can't wait to see what you'll do to top it next year."

"Oh, I've got some great plans for next year," Jeff said while pumping Al's hand, "for starters we're going to announce on national TV that Ranko's baby will attempt to set a new world record for breaking gingerbread men..." Jeff heard the sound of chopsticks hitting the table and broke down laughing. So did Al, Henry and everyone else at the table except for Ranma and Debra.

"If that'd fill up Madison Square Garden for us," Henry said between belly laughs, "I'd bake the cookies myself!"

Debra shot the men a look that could freeze lava, "Why don't you just call it the Three Men and a Baby Martial Arts challenge and we'll see which one of you bachelors can change the most diapers."

Ranma burst out laughing and every head in the room turned her way. It was the first time during the whole weekend anyone could remember hearing the redhead laugh.

After all the hilarity died down, Al and Henry stepped in front of Ranma and gave her a martial arts salute. She stood and returned it, then shook their hands and wished them a safe flight home.

"This feels more like the end of a family reunion," Jeff whispered to Debra, "It's only been three days, but it seems like we've all been together a lifetime."

"I feel that too," Debra whispered back, "and Ranma has become the matriarch of the family..."

"Don't tell her that!" Jeff grinned, "I suppose you're the aunt who always remembers to bring the potato salad."

"And you're the wiseass uncle who always brings fireworks," Debra said before sticking her tongue out at her boss.

Jeff suddenly frowned, "Uh oh, don't look now, but here comes the black sheep of the family," he pointed across the room where the man from Houston was just standing up and heading their way.

Ranma finished her goodbyes and turned around just in time to see the big Texan shoot his hand out at Jeff.

"Ted, you're leaving us already?" Jeff said while grabbing the big man's hand.

"I'm off to the airport, but before I go I wanted to give you this personally," with his other hand Ted reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope, "These are the signed contracts and checks... plus that other thing we talked about last night. You'll let me know about that right away, won't ya?"

"Just as soon as I can have the lawyers take a look at it," Jeff took the envelope and tossed it on the table like a hot potato.

Turning to Debra and Ranma, the big man pretended to tip a non-existent cowboy hat, "You little ladies have a real nice day now and when you've had that pup of yours Ms. Saotome, you be sure to bring the lil' buckaroo to Houston. I'll personally see to it that you all feel so welcome you'll never want to go home to Japan."

He never offered his hand to either woman before turning towards the door and sauntering out of the room. Ranma followed him out with her eyes, then while still staring at the door she said, "Jeffu, what other thing that man talk about?"

"He wants us to sign an agreement giving him first refusal on all new franchises in Texas and Okalahoma in return for a larger percentage of the first three dojos in Houston."

"Franchise contract need Saotome signature for legal?"

"They sure do boss," Jeff said.

"You like that man, Jeffu?"

"I sure don't boss!"

Ranma turned around, a cold look in her eyes, "Return check. Say, no thank you. Tell him 'little lady' and 'buckaroo' say no."

Jeff grinned from ear to ear, "My pleasure boss."

Debra frowned, "Damn, I wish Texas was in my district. I'd love to stuff those contracts down that guy's throat."

"Texas not southwest?" asked Ranma looking puzzled, "Have cactus, yes?"

Debra grinned, "You're forgetting how big that part of the country is, Texas is in the southwest _and _the mid-west, but mostly the mid-west."

While they discussed the finer points of US geography, Kelley appeared at the doorway and walked towards them. She stopped in front of Ranma and bowed ever so slightly, "Saotome-sama, your limo is here and I took the liberty of having your bags sent down."

Ranma looked at Jeff's assistant and tilted her head to one side, something in the way she had said that sounded familiar, "Keri-san, how long you work for Jeffu?"

"Two years," Kelley answered.

"_And how long have you been studying Japanese without him knowing it?_" Ranma asked in casual Japanese.

"_Two years, Chairman Saotome,_" she answered back in formal keigo speech.

"_Just how much of the language do you understand?_"

Kelley smiled and glanced at Debra whose brows were ached in wonder, "_Enough to know that Vice President Suzuki need not call you sensei when foreigners are not present._"

Ranma chuckled, "_How long were you planning to keep this a secret from Jeffu?_"

"_Just until President Atkins needed me._"

"_You are indeed a wonder, Keri-san,_" Ranma turned to Jeff who was gazing wide-eyed at his assistant, "Jeffu, maybe pay Keri-san more money. Not loose valuable asset, okay?"

"Yeah..." Jeff said shaking his head in wonder and exchanging a wry smile with Kelley, "I'll be sure to do that."

"_Keri-san, do me a big favor and teach this dummy some Japanese. I may be stuck in Japan for quite a while and you might have to bring Muhammad to the mountain._"

"_I'll do my best Chairman Saotome,_" Kelley said with a happy smile.

"Well," Ranma said looking around at everyone, "guess this time to go." She extended her hand to Jeff, "Good job like every time, Jeffu. Not know what do without you."

Jeff took her hand and shook it warmly, "You take good care of yourself. Let me know if there's anything I can do and be sure to send lots of pictures of the newest Saotome."

"Will do," Ranma turned to Kelley and bowed, "Take care of him, Keri-san."

"I always do Saotome-sama," the girl said returning the bow.

Turning to Debra, Ranma switched to Japanese again, "_Debra-san, I didn't come here expecting to make a new friend, but I'm very happy that I did. Thank you for all you've done this weekend and please stay in touch._" Wearing a big smile she stuck her hand out to the blonde.

Debra looked at the offered hand and shook her head, then in English she said, "Sorry to disappoint you boss, but I'm going to get all American on you." Reaching out with both arms she enveloped Ranma in a big hug.

Ranma smiled and tentatively returned the embrace, "Is okay, sometime Japanese hug too."

Debra whispered to her in Japanese, "_Remember that your balance will change as your abdomen gets bigger, you'll endanger the baby and yourself if you try any moves after you begin to show. Let the part of your brain that changes into a woman tell you the right things to do and don't hesitate to ask other women for advice, it's just something we do._"

Debra backed off and smiled reassuringly, "Have a safe trip home and let us know you arrived safely." When Ranma nodded, Debra reached under the table and pulled out a large brown bag and handed it to the redhead, "One more thing, Mr. Suzuhara said to give you these for the road."

Ranma opened the bag and looked inside, it was filled with fish shaped pastries, "Taiyaki!"

Ten minutes later outside the hotel, the doorman helped Ranma into the limo. She settled in and put the bag of sweets on the seat beside her. Looking up into the rearview mirror she recognized the big black man who had been her driver on Friday.

"I thought it was you again," he said smiling from the front seat, "more chili-dogs?"

"Not this time," Ranma replied with a smile.

"I saw you kickin' butt on TV last night," he said as he pulled the limo out into traffic, "How'd you do that trick with the concrete blocks?"

"Not trick," Ranma said reaching into the bag for one of the taiyaki and handing it over the seat to the driver, "power every man have inside."

The driver sniffed at the fish shaped pie and took a bite, "Hey thanks. I'd say that power's also inside one little woman I know."

"You very surprised find out what inside this little woman," Ranma said with a grin as she began wolfing down the taiyaki.

o o o

Akane watched the red Narita Express train pull into Ikebukuro Station. The doors opened and a sea of arriving passengers flooded the platform. She scanned the crowd for the top of one particular head. It used to be much easier to spot Ranma's female half in a crowd back when most Japanese had black hair, but now she was lost in an ocean of multi-colored tresses.

When the perky redhead finally emerged from the crowd dragging her suitcase, Akane waved and called out to her. Ranma stopped in her tracks and was quickly swallowed up by the masses again. Akane fought her way against the tide of people until she practically tripped over her husband, "There you are. How was your flight?"

Ranma looked up at her with those amazingly blue eyes and said, "You came to pick me up?"

"I was going to meet you at the airport," Akane said reaching for Ranma's suitcase, "but I didn't think you'd appreciate the three hour drive home. I found a great parking spot! It's only about a block away. What's wrong Ranma?"

Ranma was just standing there staring at her. She looked even more miserable than she usually did after a transpacific flight. "You came to pick me up," she said again.

Akane smiled, "You didn't think I was going to make you walk the five kilometers home did you?"

The crowd began to dissipate and Ranma looked around as if searching for something, "I need a bathroom," she said, "right now."

Akane was becoming concerned. This wasn't like Ranma at all, "Okay, there are washrooms just inside the terminal." As she began walking towards the stairs she asked, "Are you feeling sick?"

"No," Ranma replied tersely and quickened her pace.

They hurried down the stairs and headed for the nearest restroom. Akane stopped just outside the entrance, "I'll wait for you here, okay?"

"No, come in with me..." Ranma had a pleading almost mournful look on her face, "Please, Akane."

Akane hastily followed the redhead into the restroom where Ranma headed straight for the large handicap stall and dragged Akane in after her. They stood facing one another in the confined space for an awkward moment.

"Ranma, are you sick?" Akane asked again, she was really worried now, "Is there something wrong with the baby? What is it Ranma?"

"Hold me..." Ranma whispered as she leaned face first into Akane's chest, "Just hold me and don't let go for a while, okay?"

Akane sighed with relief and wrapped her arms around the little redhead, "Of course I will sweetheart," she pressed her cheek into the top of Ranma's head, "You silly thing! If you wanted a hug so badly we could have done this up on the platform."

"No we couldn't," Ranma said with just a hint of a sob.

"Why couldn't we?" Akane asked, "We're married aren't we?"

"We're also both girls!"

"Oh..." Akane said as her cheeks turned a bright red.

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) gi - the traditional outfit worn by martial artists for practice, they are most often white or black.

(2) chi - the Chinese word for ki, it refers to the oriental concept that energy produced by the living body can be manipulated through training and discipline.

(3) miso soup - a soup made from fish or vegetable stock and miso, a fermented soy bean paste. It most often contains spring onions and tofu.

(4) natto - fermented soy beans, it has a sticky slimy texture and smells like strong cheese.

(5) keigo - formal way of speaking Japanese using all the honorific elements of the language, it is most often used by store clerks to customers and employees to their bosses.

(6) taiyaki - a fish shaped waffle like pie filled with sweet bean paste or custard.

(7) Narita Express - expensive, but fast, train from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo and points west.

(8) Ikebukuro Station - closest mainline Japan Railways station to Nerima.


	8. Chapter 7 – Growing Pains

**Chapter 7 - Growing Pains**

Ranma leaned on the kitchen counter and belched loudly. Holding her stomach she looked up at Akane with a grimace and said, "That wasn't very ladylike, was it?"

"Heartburn again?" asked Akane as she put away more of the groceries.

"Yeah, I don't know what's worse, morning sickness or this. Where are those antacid pills?"

"They're on the top shelf of that cabinet, next to the aspirin. I'll get them down for you in a minute."

"That's okay," Ranma said reaching up into the cabinet for the bottle of pills, "I've got it."

Akane pulled a box of tea out of the grocery bag and regarded it thoughtfully, "You know, Akari and Ryouga are the only friends we haven't told yet."

"It's Ryouga's own damn fault for walking out of the house without his cell phone. What's the use of having a phone that tracks your every move if you forget to take it with you?"

"I feel sorry for Akari. He only showed up again a few weeks ago and it was almost four months this time! She must have been terribly lonely."

"I doubt it," Ranma said while stuffing a handful of chalky tasting tablets into her mouth, "Shwe hwad hwer pwigs waftwer wall."

"Ranma! That's not very nice and don't talk with your mouth full."

Ranma made a face as she chewed the vaguely fruit flavored medicine into dust and gulped it down, "Well it's true isn't it? She only married Ryouga because he can change into one. He had a promising career in martial arts until she roped him into becoming a pig farmer."

"That's not true," Akane shot back, "they love each other because of who they are and there's nothing wrong with that. Besides, Ryouga _is _cute and cuddly when he's a piglet you know."

Akane loved to tease Ranma about that. For years her husband had refused to tell her about P-chan for fear she would get mad and mallet the poor swine into hog heaven. He was supremely disappointed when her actual reaction was to laugh about it for days. After all, Ryouga had spent all those nights in her bed within arm's reach of his dream girl, but without any arms!

"So how come they've been married longer than us and still don't have children?" Ranma asked as she began folding up the canvas shopping bags and putting them away.

"A lot of couples wait before they have kids. Everyone doesn't get cosmic confirmation of their children's existence you know."

With that reminder, Ranma massaged her aching tummy and then pulled awkwardly at the waistband of her sweat pants. With her tiny frame she was already beginning to show and it amused Akane that she was self-conscious about it. Ranma had always been so proud of his flat six-pack abs. Akane wasn't looking forward to her husband's reaction to stretch marks.

"Ranma, remember what I told you about sparring today. No matter how much you and Ryouga may want to kick each other's butt, don't you dare."

This was something Akane just couldn't understand about men. All those years of Ryouga chasing and trying to kill Ranma had actually forged a deep bond between them and they still expressed that friendship best through martial arts. She had seen them sit and watch sports on TV all day long without saying so much as a word to one another, but five minutes in the dojo had them laughing and talking about old times.

"Oh come on Akane give it up already, New York happened over a month ago. I beat up one little armed robber and now you won't let me forget about it. Besides, I'd rather be kicking Ryouga's butt than telling him I'm pregnant any day. Can't you just let Akari know and then she can break the news to him?"

"No, he's your friend. You should be the one to tell him..." The sound of the door chime echoed through the house, "That's them. Now just get it over with so we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon, okay?"

"Okay, okay! I get it, 'Hi Ryouga. How was your trip? I'm pregnant with my own child. Did your pigs do well at the sumo finals?' It'll be a snap."

Akane shot the redhead a stern look as they went to answer the door. Akari and Ryouga hadn't changed much over the years. Ryouga was a little taller and Akari had filled out some perhaps, but they still looked basically the same as they had in high school. The couple standing outside the front door holding a cake box could have been coming home from their first date.

They all exchanged greetings and then Akane led Akari to the kitchen while the 'men' went out into the garden to talk.

"So Akane," said the perky little brunette with pink highlights, "you said on the phone that you had some good news. I have a little good news of my own."

"Oh, what's that?" Akane said putting a kettle on to heat.

"No, you go first," Akari said with a sweet smile.

"Well, Ranma and I are having another baby. Only this time Ranma's the one who's pregnant."

"What? Really?" cried out Akari, "So that's why she's been girl for so long. How in the world did you talk her into that?"

"It's something we've both been thinking about for a long time. Then just after New Years we started talking seriously again and finally came to a decision. It took all spring for Ranma to start ovulating, but twelve weeks ago it became official."

"That's wonderful Akane! I'm so happy for you both. How's Ranma handling it?"

"She's fine, but it freaks her out at times. Nothing in a guy's upbringing can really prepare him for this, especially not Ranma's upbringing. She had the worst bout of mood swings while she was in New York last month and it nearly wrecked her conference..."

Akane noticed a sparkle in Akari's eyes that looked like something more than just happiness for her friends, so she asked with a curious smile, "Akari, what was your good news?"

But before Akari could answer, they heard the sound of a big splash coming from the pond out back followed quickly by another. "Oh no... she didn't... I'll kill her!" Akane shouted as she bolted for the door, Akari following hot on her heels.

Akane raced out to the veranda yelling, "Ranma you idiot! What have you done now?"

There standing knee-deep in the pond stood a soaking wet redhead with a small unconscious black piglet in her arms, "Ranma, how could you? What have I been telling you all day?"

"Hey," Ranma called out in an annoyed voice, "I never touched the pig, okay! I just told him I was pregnant and the fool fainted right into the pond."

"Oh my poor baby," Akari cried out as she rushed past Akane and jumped into the pond next to Ranma. Gently, she retrieved her husband from Ranma's arms and stood there stroking his limp little body.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Akane said as she helped Ranma out of the water, "but you have to admit it did look like you two were fighting."

"That's okay, just don't get on to me for jumping in and saving pig-boy from drowning." Ranma squeezed about a liter of water from her sweatshirt and then turned back to the pool. Akari was still standing in the pond with Ryouga cradled in her arms, but she was crying.

"Is Ryouga all right?" Akane asked with concern.

Akari looked up at them with tear filled eyes and cried, "If this is what happens when Ranma tells him she's pregnant, what's he going to do when I tell him that I am too!"

o o o

"Akane!" Ranma's voice reverberated through the house, "Help!"

Akane raced into their bedroom only to find Ranma lying on the bed with a pair of jeans pulled tightly up over her hips and trying desperately to fasten them over her little round belly. She was so cute that Akane immediately collapsed into giggles.

"Hey, this isn't funny," Ranma said indignantly, "Nothing fits me anymore!"

"That's what you get for buying nothing but tight sexy clothes for your girl half all these years. When we're done at the clinic today we can stop at a maternity shop and pick up something a little roomier for you."

"Okay, but what should I wear until then? Where are all my guy clothes?"

"I put them in storage up in the attic. Do you want to try on some of my stuff first?"

"I did that already," Ranma said dejectedly, "Would you mind digging out a pair of my black silk pants and a red shirt?"

Akane went and got the ladder from downstairs and had just positioned it under the attic opening when Ranma called out from the bedroom again.

"Never mind, I found something!"

Abandoning the ladder Akane returned to their room and found Ranma dressed in a pair of pink coveralls with the word 'China' stitched across the front. "Where in the world did you find those old things? I thought you threw them out years ago."

"They were in a box under the bed," Ranma said with a sense of accomplishment. Adjusting the straps to make them longer she added, "These used to be so big on me, now they fit just fine."

Akane noticed that Ranma's ankles were showing below the cuffs and said, "Well no wonder, they've obviously drawn up from being washed too often. Go ahead and wear them today, they look fine and we really need to get going."

The whole time they were driving to the clinic, Akane continued to be bothered by the image of Ranma's ankles sticking out from the old pair of jeans. Her cursed form hadn't aged at all since they were in high school, so the coveralls should have been long enough. Akane was also starting to remember other things that had not seemed to fit the redhead properly in the last few weeks.

Akane continued to ponder the problem in the examination room, where Ranma sat on the table in a paper gown while the doctor asked her about diet and the changing symptoms of pregnancy.

"So, have your mood swings stopped?" he asked.

"I haven't noticed anything strange in a couple of weeks," Ranma said, "I did cry a little when a friend told us she was pregnant last weekend, but that was mostly from laughing at her husband's reaction."

The doctor chuckled, "We'll call that a normal response. How's the heartburn, are you able to control it with the chewable tablets?"

"Yeah, it's not so bad."

Akane snorted, "That's not what you keep telling me."

The doctor grinned and took a stethoscope out of his pocket, "Alright let's have a listen," but when Ranma began to open her gown at the chest he shook his head, "Not yours."

He opened her gown and placed the instrument on her abdomen. After moving it around a few times he stood up and said, "Lie back for a minute." As Ranma complied the doctor opened a drawer and took out something that looked like a vibrator attached to a Walkman.

The doctor put on a pair of headphones, smeared some clear gel over Ranma's belly and started moving the probe around. When he found the right spot he unplugged the headphones from the unit and the room was filled with a rhythmic pulsing.

"That's your baby's heartbeat," the doctor told the awestruck redhead. He held up his thumb and said, "and it's coming from a fetus no bigger than this."

After a few minutes of just listening the doctor started to put away the equipment, but Ranma grabbed his wrist, "Can't we listen just a little longer?"

"Well no, I have another patient waiting, but you can buy these monitors anywhere."

"Thank you Doctor," Akane said standing up, "I'm guessing we'll have the top of the line model before we get home."

The doctor chuckled, "Ask the nurse at the front desk, I'm sure she can give you the address of a medical supply store nearby."

After the doctor left the room, Akane handed Ranma a wad of paper towels, "Clean yourself up and get dressed. Then we can go clothes shopping and buy you a new toy to play with."

Looking a little embarrassed Ranma began wiping off the gel and said, "It's just really amazing Akane. That was coming from inside of me... I mean, there really is someone alive in there!"

Akane smiled sympathetically, she'd felt the same way when first hearing the two little heartbeats of their boys.

They were walking past a set of scales on their way out of the clinic when the answer hit Akane like a ton of bricks. "Ranma, stand up straight. I want to check something."

They stood back to back and Akane put her hand on top of Ranma's head. She slid it forward expecting to hit somewhere on her neck, but she was shocked when it hit the back of her head instead. Dragging Ranma over to the scales, she demanded, "How tall were you in high school?"

"You mean like this? I never got measured in high school, but in college I was 150 centimeters."

Akane made her get up on the scales and then dropped the height stick down on her head. "Ranma, you've grown 5 centimeters!"

"What?" cried out the redhead as she twirled around and stared at the scale, "155 no way, but how?"

"You've been a woman now for about ten months, right? Add the time you spent as a lifeguard and that'd make you over seventeen," Akane grinned, "Ranma, you're finally growing up!"

o o o

"Sato-chan, wait up!"

Masato turned and saw his friend Hiro running up the hallway so he stopped and waited, "What's up Hiro-chan?"

Hiro fell into step as they continued towards the elementary school's entrance hall, "You and Hideto wanna come over my house and play? I've got a great new game, but it's no fun unless you got more than two players."

"Does that mean your little sister's gonna play too?"

"Well," the other boy looked embarrassed, "yeah, but she's really pretty good at it."

"That's cool," Masato said, "but it'd be great if she'd just turn into a boy for a while."

"Yeah, like that'd ever happen!"

"You ever try pouring hot water on her?" Spotting his brother up ahead, Masato quickened his pace and called out, "Hide!"

The younger twin slowed down, "Hey, Nii-chan. Hi Hiro-chan"

"Hide," Masato said while punching his twin on the arm, "you wanna go over Hiro-chan's and play?"

"Are you mental?" Hideto said punching him back, "You know today's mommy's doctor day."

Masato stopped in his tracks, "Oh right! That means Hina-chan'll be waiting for us at home. Sorry Hiro-chan, but we gotta go home or our grandmother'll get mad..."

"...and you don't wanna make Hina-chan mad!" Hideto finished his brother's sentence.

"That's okay," Hiro said, "Is your mother sick?"

"No," Hideto said, "She's making us a..."

"...baby sister," Masato finished, "So once a week she goes to..."

"...a doctor and one of our grandmothers..."

"...comes over to play with us."

Hiro laughed, there was a good reason why the teachers put the Saotome twins in separate classrooms. "When my mom was making my little sister, my dad played with me while she went to the doctor. What about your dad?"

The twins just looked at one another and burst out laughing. They said goodbye to their friend at the shoe lockers then exchanged inside shoes for sneakers. At the front door they ran into a crowd, which included Hiro again.

"What's the hold up Hiro-chan?" Masato asked.

"There's a geisha at the front gate!"

"A geisha?" Hideto asked.

The three boys pushed their way to the front so they could get a better look. Standing at the gate was a pretty middle-aged woman in a blue kimono.

"That's not a geisha," Masato said disappointedly.

"That's our grandmother Saotome," Hideto added with a little more excitement.

"Your... grandmother?" Hiro's question was repeated by half a dozen other students.

Laughing and waving farewell to their stunned classmates, the twins raced across the courtyard to greet Nodoka. If it had been anyone else, the rambunctious boys would have wrapped their arms around her in a tackle hug, but instead they stopped an arm's length away and bowed politely. Nodoka returned the bow and was then enfolded in four little arms.

"Are you watching us today grandmother?" Hideto asked.

"Well no," Nodoka said, "this is Tendo-san's week, but I thought I might walk you boys home."

The twins looked at each other and made faces. "Aw, we're not in kindergarten anymore," Masato said.

"We walk home by ourselves all the time!" added Hideto.

"Oh," Nodoka said with a dramatic sigh, "then I guess I'll just have to go to the ice cream shop all by myself."

"Ice cream!"

o o o

An hour later a tired, but happy woman in a blue kimono led two ice cream fueled bundles of energy through the door of her son's home. The boys practically flew out of their shoes and raced into the house screaming, "We're home!"

Nodoka took her time collecting the boys' shoes and placing them neatly facing out from the step. Then she removed her own clogs and exchanged them for a pair of house slippers from the small cabinet located in the genkan for that purpose. She sighed, hesitating for a moment before following the boys into the house.

She really wasn't up to facing Soun's wife today. The woman was certainly well educated and refined, when she was an adult anyway, but invariably when she was with the twins she turned into a spoiled little brat. It grated on Nodoka that such a person was playing an important roll in the education of her grandchildren.

Turning the corner into the living room she was relieved to find the sofa occupied by a voluptuous adult woman. Her dark brown hair was gathered up into a ponytail and she was wearing a yellow sundress that looked as if it had been painted on her.

"Hello Nodoka," Hinako said looking up from the book she was reading. She giggled and said, "Don't look so pleased."

"I'm sorry Hinako," Nadoka blushed slightly, "It's just that you're usually playing with the boys."

Hinako nodded, "They were disappointed too. There was a big fight at school this morning and I had to drain six of the hooligans before they broke it up."

"Boys will be boys," Nodoka said smiling.

"Oh no, these were girls. I'm so full of hot angry feminine energy right now that I should be able to stay this way all weekend," Hinako smiled wickedly, "And for Soun's sake I intend to do just that no matter what the twins want."

"I see," Nodoka said uneasily.

Hinako dropped her book on the coffee table and stood up, "How about a cup of tea?"

"No, I really should be going," Nodoka said, searching her brain for a good excuse.

"Oh come on," chided the younger woman, "How often have you and I had the chance to just sit and get to know one another without some sort of chaos breaking out? Besides, Ranma and Akane will be back in about an hour and they'll have the first sonogram pictures of the baby."

Truth be told, that was Nodoka's reason for picking up the boys at school and delaying them with a trip to the ice cream shop. She wanted to be there when Akane showed the pictures to her grandsons for the first time. For an experience like that she could put on a fake smile and sit through tea, "Yes that would be nice, Hinako."

Twenty minutes later the two grandmothers were sitting on the veranda watching bright red autumn leaves fall from the maple tree into the koi pond. "This is nice," Hinako said after taking a sip of tea, "I'm so glad Ranma took this place over and is raising the boys here. It has such a wonderful atmosphere."

"Yes," Nodoka agreed, "Soun raised three beautiful daughters here and my son spent some of his most formative years in this house."

"I remember her in those days," Hinko said. "She was quite the troublemaker at first. I think she was the target of my coins more times than anyone before or since, but she matured in her third year and has done very well for her family."

"I'm quite proud of my son," Nodoka said, "He's done some amazing things in spite of his handicap and always in a manly way. What more can a mother ask?"

Hinako looked at Nodoka curiously, "Well, I think the most amazing thing she's done so far is having this baby. It took a great deal of courage to go through with it and she's handling it with a great deal of dignity as well, but I wouldn't call it manly."

"My son is not having a baby," Nodoka said in a flat voice, "He and Akane are simply using the curse to bring about a happy end. That thing deserves none of the credit."

Hinako blinked. Did this woman really believe the red haired girl wasn't Ranma? "Um... You make it sound like Ranma's girl half is a separate person. Isn't it more likely just another aspect of Ranma? The yin to his yang as it were."

"My son may be locked inside that thing, but it has nothing to do with him or our family."

Hinako was finding Nodoka's attitude a little hard to believe. Had the woman looked in a mirror lately? "Well, she looks just like you Nodoka. If I saw the two of you walking down the street together I'd instantly think you were mother and daughter."

A wall of battle aura suddenly formed between the two women and Hinako nervously fingered the five-yen coin attached to her charm bracelet. She had always considered Nodoka a non-combatant, but now she could see that not all of Ranma's formidable power came from Genma alone.

"What do you know?" Nodoka shot back, "You're not his mother!"

Hinako answered just as harshly, "I've known the adult Ranma at least as long as you have Nodoka. I was her teacher for two years and whether you like to admit it or not I am her mother in-law. I've seen her at her best and worst in both male and female forms and I'm certain of one thing, no matter what she looks like she is always Ranma."

Hinako set her cup down on the veranda and stood up, "You need to open your eyes Nodoka. You have a son _and _a daughter. That makes you one very lucky woman."

"You have a lot of nerve," Nodoka said venomously, "you've never been a mother."

"That's right," Hinako said responding in kind, "my normal body's too frail, so I'll never have children of my own. That's one reason I became a teacher, but I'd give up my career in a heartbeat for a chance to have a little girl in my arms calling me mama. That's why I envy Ranma and her curse, and why you should treasure them!"

"My Ranma can't be a woman," Nodoka's voice began to crack, "it's just not possible."

"Anything is possible," Hinako said resolutely, "if you believe in the people you love. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go let our grandchildren spoil my husband's weekend."

As the younger woman turned and stormed back into the house, Nodoka swore under her breath. She forced herself to calm down and sip her tea. "I was right," she whispered, "That woman is nothing but a child in an adult's body. She has no idea how important it is to raise a son with the proper values."

She sat there for a long time just staring out at the leaves floating on the surface of the pond and her mind began to wander into the past. She remembered a day not unlike this one when she and a girl she thought to be Ranko Tendo sat together in this very spot. That had been a pleasant day and for a time she felt the Tendo's 'cousin' might become the daughter she never had.

Nodoka sighed, "If only she had been real."

o o o

"Doctor? Excuse me, doctor?" the nurse hated to wake up the young resident, but she really needed someone to look at her patient. She gently tapped the sleeping woman on the shoulder and tried again, "Doctor Ono? Please wake up."

Kasumi's eyes blinked open. In the eleven months she had been a resident at Northern Yokohama Hospital she had learned how to catch a catnap whenever and wherever the opportunity arose. She had also learned how to wake up quickly, "Yes Sasaki-san, what is it?"

"I'm so sorry doctor," the nurse said bowing quickly, "but could you please have a look at the patient in LVI 2? His grandparents are in the waiting room and would like an update on his condition."

"Certainly," Kasumi said as she stood up and accepted the records binder the nurse was handing her, "I'll be right in."

Of all the parts of the hospital she had been required to work as a resident in Family Medicine, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was by far her favorite. Not only did she get to work with newborns, she was also able to work with some of the most cutting edge technology on the planet. She might have even changed her specialty if she and Toufuu weren't planning to open a clinic together in his hometown.

She looked at the binder and noted the birth date on the cover. How could someone only nine days old amass a medical record nearly two centimeters thick? She opened it up and began reading as she headed for the NICU. The boy's name was Kenta, which stood for healthy and stout, certainly an expression of his parents' wishes for their son rather than the reality of his condition.

At five minutes after birth he had an APGAR score of only two, which was very bad. At six minutes he was diagnosed with perinatal asphyxia and ventilation was begun. When he failed to respond to that he was placed in liquid ventilation where he remained still. No determination had been made as to the reasons for the lack of oxygen in his blood at birth or how long the condition had existed, so it was difficult to know just how much damage had been done.

Kasumi waved her ID card at the airlock to the NICU and the pressure seal door hissed opened. She stepped inside and waited for the air cleaners to do their job and the inner door to open. Then she walked past the rows of regular incubators, each containing a precious tiny human life, and went directly to the four larger units at the back of the room.

The LVI's or Liquid Ventilation Incubator's were Japan's gift to the world of neonatal care. Years of determined effort while the rest of the world's medical community scoffed at them had resulted in a technological breakthrough that pushed back the survival line for premies by nearly four weeks. But the little boy in LVI 2 was no premie and his full term body nearly filled a vessel meant for babies much smaller than he was.

Kasumi checked his vitals on the bank of monitors built into the unit. Heart rate was fine and his blood oxygen levels were good, but his brain waves showed he was still in a deep coma. She bent down and looked at the little boy through the perfluorocarbon solution that carried oxygen into his tiny lungs.

The liquid's slight yellow cast made it hard to see his body in detail, but Kasumi's trained eyes could tell that the boy's color was off. She shuffled through the thick file looking for the last fluid analysis and discovered that it was more than 48 hours old. Standing up she reduced the pressure in the vessel slightly and increased the temperature a bit.

Stepping around to the opposite side of the LVI, she set down the binder and dusted her fingers with a bottle of baby power left there for the purpose. She stuck her hand into the latex glove mounted in the side of the unit and reached towards the infant within. Even through the thick material of the glove she could feel the rhythmic vibrations of his mother's recorded heartbeat being played on a continuous loop inside the vessel.

She rolled him gently in the sling that kept him from sinking to the bottom and looked into his little mouth. She tried pushing on one of his hands with her index finger, but it didn't make a fist. She tickled the bottom of one foot and got a reflex kick, but he didn't pull away from a second tickle. Extracting her hand from the glove, she said quietly, "Sweet dreams Kenta-chan, we'll try that again when you get a little stronger."

After passing through the airlock again, Kasumi walked into the NICU monitoring station and addressed the nurse that had awakened her, "Kenta's doing fine, but there's little change in his condition. I'd like you to take a PFC sample from near his mouth and send it down to the lab for analysis."

Kasumi furiously scribbled notes into the binder as she talked, "I think the hemoglobin contamination count may be up and if it is we're putting too much stress on his lungs. Who's the neonatologist on call?"

"Dr. Yamaguchi," said the nurse with a wry smile, "but she's not on call. She's in her office, it's the middle of the afternoon doctor."

Kasumi looked at her watch and raised an eyebrow, "Really? I've always said they need a window in this place. Would you ask Dr. Yamaguchi to come down when she has a chance? I'll need her consent to put Kenta-chan on assisted ventilation. I guess those are the grandparents?"

Kasumi looked through the glass that separated the nurse's station from the small waiting room. Inside was a middle-aged couple just standing there staring into the NICU. The woman's shoulders were shaking visibly and the man anxiously massaged a tiny stuffed rabbit between his hands.

"One more thing, Sasaki-san," Kasumi said turning back to the nurse, "could you bring me a pot of tea and three cups."

The nurse looked from the young doctor to the grieving couple in the waiting room, "Of course doctor, right away."

"Thanks," Kasumi said as she handed the medical record binder back to the nurse. She turned towards the door to the waiting room and straightened her white coat. She blew out a puff of air and let the calm reassuring smile that her family knew so well spread over her face. It was time for Dr. Kasumi Tendo Ono to do what she had always done best and bring hope to those who felt hopeless.

o o o

Ranma lay on the examination table in the darkened room and suppressed a shiver as the technician smeared cold gel over her abdomen. At twenty weeks there was no longer any chance of hiding the fact that she was pregnant.

"Sorry," he said, "I guess that's kind of cold, huh?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering, "You could say that."

"Okay then. Before we begin I have to ask if you want to know the sex of the baby or not."

"It's a girl." Ranma and Akane said in unison.

"I... I'll take that as a yes," the technician laughed. He reached up and turned a monitor to where both women could see it. "You'll be able to watch what's going on here and just let me know if there's anything you want to get a closer look at."

"What if we want snapshots?" Ranma asked, "I have parents that won't take no for an answer."

The technician chuckled, "Then they're going to be very happy grandparents. We're recording all of this on a virtual imaging system. Just wait until they see the baby picture you're taking home with you."

Using a probe that looked like a larger version of the one on the heart monitor at home, the technician began to move it systematically across Ranma's tummy. Vague fuzzy images appeared on the screen and then suddenly something that looked like a face flashed by.

"What was that?" Ranma cried out excitedly.

"I'd say that's either one hell of a tape worm or you've got a baby in there."

"Are you always this amusing?" Akane said sarcastically.

"Hey, it beats looking at gall bladders all day," the young man said, "Okay, here's a profile. Take it from me she'll look a lot cuter when she starts kindergarten."

The nose and chin were now clearly visible on the monitor, "Her head looks too big," Ranma declared.

"At this stage the brain and heart are the two most important organs, so they get the biggest share of the body. That'll change when she reaches high school." The tech moved the probe again and a tiny hand appeared, "Looks like we have a left hand with five fingers..." moving the probe again brought another hand into view, "and there's the other one."

Akane gasped, "There are only four fingers on that one."

"Look a little closer," the tech said with a grin, "I think you'll find the thumb is serving pacifier duty right now."

Sure enough on closer inspection the baby was indeed sucking her thumb. When they'd moved down the tiny body past the visibly beating heart to the hips, the technician moved the probe around to the other side of Ranma's stomach.

"Okay, time for the all important leg count. I see one... I see two... Well, either your little boy is very shy or you were right. Congratulations, it's a girl."

Akane and Ranma exchanged grins, "I never doubted it for a second," Akane whispered.

"Me either," Ranma said with a wink, "I always believe what talking dogs tell me."

Twenty minutes later, after getting images from every possible angle and telling an endless string of bad jokes, the technician put away the probe and gave Ranma a towel to clean off with.

"Okay, now we wait a few minutes while the magic happens."

"What do you mean by magic?" Akane asked. This had not been part of any of her sonograms seven years ago.

"This nifty little computer is analyzing all those images and stitching them together for us. In just a few more seconds... Yup, here we go. Now, if this doesn't satisfy those anxious grandparents of yours nothing will."

On the screen in front of them a 3D image of a tiny baby appeared. Surface detail and color had been added to the black and white sonogram images to give it a very lifelike appearance.

"Oh my god," Ranma uttered breathlessly, "is that really _my _baby?"

"Oh you haven't seen the best part yet," reaching around, the technician touched the screen in the corner where a small compass symbol was displayed. As he moved his finger the image rotated, "Go ahead, take her for a spin!"

Akane leaned on Ranma's shoulder as she reached out and touched the screen. She moved her finger until the image was facing them. Then in a quiet voice they both said, "Hello Ranko-chan, we love you."

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) nii-chan - a very informal way for a younger brother to address his older brother.

(2) geisha - female traditional Japanese artist-entertainer, they waer very ornate kimono and elaborate hairstyles.

(3) genkan - the entryway into a Japanese house where you remove your street shoes, it is similar to a foyer but is usually set below the level of the house.

(4) APGAR score - a simple and repeatable method to quickly assess the health of newborn children immediately after childbirth. A score over 7 is normal, but a score below 3 is critical.

(5) perinatal asphyxia - the medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen to a newborn infant long enough to cause damage to the heart, lungs or brain.

(6) liquid ventilation - a form of respiration in which a person breathes an oxygen rich liquid instead of air. In clinical trials this has shown to speed up healing of lungs damaged by fire and in helping premature newborns develop stronger lungs.

(7) perfluorocarbon - a class of chemicals that act similarly to blood in that they can carry and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.

(8) neonatologist - a doctor specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.


	9. Chapter 8 – Father’s Day

**Chapter 8 - Father's Day**

Ranma stopped in front of the maternity shop and peered cautiously inside. She really wished Akane were with her. She hated this place to begin with, the women who ran it always asked her questions about the pregnancy that she didn't understand and they touched her a lot too. That would be especially bothersome today, because Ranma needed a maternity bra.

It had taken years to overcome her fear of the things. Bras had always represented a line in the sands of femininity over which Ranma refused to step. The Tendo sisters had run themselves ragged trying to get her to wear one, but it had been a really cold day in her senior year of high school that finally broke through her obstinacy.

Even so she still nearly always went without one, but in the past two weeks her already considerable bosom had swelled to enormous proportions. Akane just laughed at her complaints, citing Ranma's joy over her own size increase while carrying the twins. "You pointed them out to everyone we knew, so I expect you to be just as enthusiastic about your own," Akane chided her.

But it was no joke from Ranma's perspective. Her back was beginning to ache all the time now and just that morning she'd noticed a wet spot on her blouse. She really needed a maternity bra, but Akane was tied up with classes in the dojo all day. Like it or not she would have to rely on the women at the maternity shop and she was sure it meant plenty of embarrassing questions and lots of awkward touching.

As she pushed through the door a little bell tinkled and three overzealous voices rang out in unison "Welcome!" The way they descended on her from different directions led Ranma to believe they must have had martial arts training. She was quickly surrounded with no viable escape route.

"Good afternoon Saotome-sama!" Moriko said with a big smile. She was the manager of the shop and the oldest of the three women.

"Where is Saotome Akane-sama today?" asked Sumiko. The youngest of the sales clerks, she was only a year out of high school.

"What can we do for you today Saotome-sama?" Natsuko was just a few years older and clearly the most aggressive of the sales clerks. Akane once told Ranma the girl was after Moriko's job for sure.

Ranma swallowed hard and tried to think of some excuse for coming into the shop other than the real one. She glanced at the anxious hands of the women, waiting to grab at her clothes and poke at her breasts. With a blush and a nervous shuffle of her feet Ranma said, "I... err... that is Akane said I needed... well... a maternity bra?"

"Why of course you do!" Natsuko said as she wrapped her arm possessively around Ranma's shoulders and herded her deeper into the shop. "I was saying to Moriko-san just the other day, 'Those things can't defy gravity forever. We'd best be prepared for Saotome-sama.' Didn't I say that Moriko-san?"

"Indeed you did!" Moriko held open the curtain leading to the small dressing area at the back of the shop. "Sumiko-kun, go to the store room and get those boxes we set aside for Saotome-sama the other day."

"Right away!" the young woman squealed happily as she disappeared into the back.

"And bring Saotome-sama a glass of water," Natsuko shouted after her, "the poor thing looks parched. Here let me help you with those buttons."

"No... I... that is, I can do that..." Ranma stammered as the salesladies began to undress her.

"Nonsense Saotome-sama," Moriko said, "just relax and we'll have you fitted in no time. Now, what size bra do you wear normally?"

The women stared at her expectantly, but Ranma didn't have the answer. Because she didn't wear them very often buying a new bra was a rare occurrence and Akane was the one who always got them for her. "Um... well, I don't really know."

Moriko and Natsuko smiled at one another like two cats about to share a mouse. "Then we'll just have to measure you. Won't we Moriko-san." Natsuko said with obvious relish.

"Oh yes indeed," Moriko replied with maternal glee. Moriko produced a tape measure magically out of thin air and before she knew it Ranma was stripped to the waist.

"Is this really n-n-necessary?" Ranma stammered.

"You want it to fit properly Saotome-sama." Natsuko said, "Your comfort and health depend upon a proper fit!"

"And once you begin breastfeeding..." Moriko started to say.

"Breastfeeding?" Ranma shouted in despair, Akane never said anything to her about breastfeeding. "What's that got to do with a maternity bra?"

The saleswomen smiled knowingly at each other and Moriko explained, "While a good maternity bra is useful during pregnancy, it's positively crucial when you start feeding your baby. That's why it's important to get the right one now. You'll be wearing it for a very long time."

"A very... long time?" Ranma suddenly felt like a condemned prisoner about to be locked away in a dungeon.

"I'm sure your doctor will discuss this with you later, but for the health of the baby you should breastfeed for at least three months."

"Three months?" Ranma looked horrified. Why hadn't anyone told her about this before?

"Of course some women choose to breastfeed a lot longer than that. One of our ladies," Natsuko said with a polite laugh, "is still feeding her little boy and he's two years old now."

Both women giggled and Moriko asked, "Tanaka-san?"

Natsuko nodded and they both laughed out loud.

"Two years..." Ranma whispered in horror.

Moriko wrapped her arms around the distracted redhead and pulled the tape measure under her arms and over her breasts. She brought the tape together and gazed at the numbers. She made a clicking noise with her tongue and looked at Natsuko who scribbled into a little notepad that had appeared out of nowhere.

The tape was moved down across Ranma's breasts and Moriko began letting out more and more tape. When she finally brought the ends together there was more clicking and more scribbling. Then the women began whispering to each other, but still loud enough for Ranma to hear.

"Do we actually have anything that big?" asked Natsuko.

"I'm sure we must," Moriko said, "but who would have suspected this on such a petite little thing. We'll start with a 70E and work up."

When Sumiko showed up carrying a huge box full of the white cotton underwear, Ranma groaned. This was shaping up to take all afternoon and would probably involve a lot more touching. At least they weren't asking her a bunch of strange questions.

"So, Saotome-sama," Natsuko said while all three women rummaged through the box of bras, "Have you had your glucose-screening test yet?"

o o o

"The van's parked out back," Akane said over her shoulder as she and Akari stepped out of the house, "we can cut through the dojo and see what the 'boys' are up to."

"Thanks again for taking me Akane. Ryouga's mother is really sweet, but her sense of direction is just as bad as his and she's never learned how to work a GPS."

"That's okay, I don't mind. I need something to get me out of the house for a while anyway. Ranma and I haven't been together this much since we first got married and it's starting to stress us both out."

"Oh dear," Akari said holding her hand to her mouth. "You and Ranma aren't... breaking up are you?"

Akane stopped short and turned around, "No, of course not! It's just that Ranma can be demanding at the best of times and it was always a relief when he went away on business trips. Now with her pregnant and staying home all the time I just really haven't had any 'me time' for a while."

"Oh," Akari looked thoughtful, "Ryouga and I are together all the time on the farm... well, except when he gets lost, but I miss him terribly when he's not there. Do you think he might need some 'me time' too?"

Akane smiled, "Ryouga's not as high maintenance as Ranma. I'm sure the two of you are perfectly happy being together all the time. So are we, but for us there's a need to be apart sometimes. Don't fret about it or you'll kick off a mood swing."

Akari smiled feebly, "I'm glad those don't affect me the way they did Ranma. I haven't really broken down crying even once."

"You're lucky," Akane said turning back towards the dojo, "I was a royal bitch for the first three months with the twins."

They walked into the dojo through the side entrance and found Ryouga sitting on the floor watching Ranma perform a Tai-Chi kata. Even moving in slow motion Akane thought her mate looked as powerful and graceful as ever, well maybe not so graceful these days. Ranma stumbled while stretching out to 'Grab the Sparrow's Tail' and Ryouga flew off the floor to catch her.

"You really are seriously off balance Ranma," Ryouga said after making sure his friend wasn't going to fall over. "You should be working out more."

Ranma snorted and pulled away, "You try working out with a one kilogram grapefruit pressing against your bladder all the time." She noticed the girls entering the dojo and straightened up, "I wasn't doing anything dangerous Akane."

"I never said you were sweetheart," she said with a smile, "I agree with Ryouga, you should be working out more. As your center of gravity changes the katas will help you maintain your balance. Just don't go bouncing off the walls like you usually do."

"Are you guys heading out now?" Ryouga asked while crossing the room to give his wife a hug.

"Uh huh," Akari said burying her face in her husband's massive chest.

"Have fun at the doctor's and don't spend all our money on new clothes," Ryouga said with a lighthearted sigh.

Akane stood beside Ranma watching the other couple embrace, "Are you going to be okay?" she asked. "You can come with us if you want."

"No thanks. I've had my fill of that maternity shop. I'll have dinner ready when you get back." Ranma leaned over awkwardly and gave Akane a kiss on the cheek.

Akane smiled, "Okay, just be careful what you pull out of the freezer for dinner. Remember it's full of _pork _left over from last week." She used the English word in hopes that Ryouga and Akari might not notice.

Ranma nodded, "Don't worry, I ordered some squid from the market. I thought I might fire up the grill."

"Okay, just don't let the boys play outside without jackets on. That includes you too." Akane gave Ranma a hug and then collected Akari. "Behave yourselves," she said before exiting out the back, "we'll be back in a couple of hours."

"We won't see them again before nightfall," Ryouga said dejectedly, "right?"

Ranma set herself to resume the kata from where she stumbled, "Probably not. Once those vultures at the maternity shop get their claws on Akari, they won't let go easily. You really love that girl, don't you?"

Ryouga scratched the back of his head and laughed bashfully, "Does it show that much? We'll have been married ten years by the time the baby comes and it feels like we're still newlyweds."

"They say absence makes the heart grow fonder," Ranma bobbled a little while stretching out, but didn't stumble this time, "I guess that makes you the perfect husband."

"I'm just worried about becoming the perfect father."

Ranma grinned, "That's the great thing about being a dad, you don't have to be perfect. They still love you no matter what."

o o o

That night a cold November fog rolled in off Tokyo bay and blanketed the streets of the Chiba's waterfront district. The headlights of a lone black sedan cut through the murkiness as it threaded its way past stacks of cargo containers before stopping in front of a small warehouse.

Two burly men in dark suits got out of the car and one opened the rear door for a middle aged man in a gray suit. The trio climbed a set of metal stairs to the second floor entrance and banged on the door. An angry looking young man in a black leather jacket greeted them.

"What the hell do you want?" the young man said in a surly voice before noticing the man in the gray suit, "Oh, Yamashita-dono! I'm sorry, you're expected inside." He bowed and held the door as the three men entered and was very relieved when they ignored him.

The men walked through the small cluster of offices to an inner door, which led to a metal catwalk overlooking the warehouse floor. Down on the floor half a dozen men in black gi's surrounded a single man wearing white.

As they watched, the men in black attacked with a variety of weapons ranging from katana swords to baseball bats. The man in white counterattacked with a series of leaps and bounds that kept him in the air most of the time. In a surprisingly short time the floor was littered with dropped weapons and unmoving bodies.

"Pathetic!" called out the man in white as he surveyed his handiwork. "I asked for martial artists, not a bunch of useless thugs. Why do I even bother to spar with the likes of this?"

Another man in a white gi stepped out and handed the man a towel, then whispered in his ear and pointed up at the catwalk. Turning around the man smiled wickedly and shouted, "Yamashita-san! It's been a long time old man, I'll be right up."

Kuro Yamashita turned and walked back into the office area. As one of his lieutenants held open the door to the manager's office, he walked in and settled into the heavily padded leather chair behind the desk.

A minute later the young man in the white gi strode into the room. Yoshi Nabe took one look at the man behind the desk and scowled. "I'm glad to see you've made yourself at home Kuro."

"You should be more respectful of your elders Yoshi-kun," chuckled Kuro, "I'm an old man and you would have me stand in your presence?"

Yoshi dismissed him with a wave of his hand and sat on the corner of the desk. He opened a small box on the desktop and took out a cigarette. "I might have known he would send you rather than come to greet his own son face to face."

"Your father is a busy man Yoshi-kun," Kuro said while leaning back in the chair. "He has many things that require his attention and your return to Japan was most unexpected. He sends his regards and congratulations on the progress you've made overseas. But he wonders what has brought you home so soon."

"You mean why did I come back at all?" Yoshi laughed as he lit the cigarette and blew smoke at the ceiling fan. "Is he so afraid I'll challenge him for the business that he sends his advisor with two hit men to feel me out?"

The two burly men at the door shifted their feet uneasily, but Kuro waved his hand and shook his head, "Not at all Yoshi-kun, Hachiro and Kenji are here simply to protect an old man who's not used to traveling in this part of town."

"Yeah? Who's supposed to protect them?" Yoshi laughed derisively. "Relax boys, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to settle an old score with someone outside the family."

"Oh really," Kuro said leaning forward, "Might I ask who you would travel halfway around the world to settle a score with?"

"An old teacher of mine," Yoshi said while grinding out his cigarette in an ashtray. As he stood up he added, "One who promised to teach me an invincible technique, but instead chose to humiliate me at every turn. I've spent the last six years mastering everything he said I would never understand. Now I'm ready to face him."

He grabbed a magazine from on top of a filing cabinet and tossed it onto the desk in front of Kuro. On the cover was the image of a man with a cocky smile wearing a red silk Chinese shirt, his long black ponytail fluttering in the breeze. With a motion almost too swift to follow Yoshi pulled a switchblade knife from his pocket, flipped it open and stabbed it deep into the desktop through the magazine.

"Tomorrow I intend to teach Ranma Saotome the final lesson of his miserable life!"

o o o

Akane walked down the hallway from the bath looking for Ranma. She checked Happosai's old room, which was now the office for the dojo, but the redhead wasn't there. She stepped out into the chilly late November air on the veranda and scanned the garden. Not finding her husband there either she crossed the living room on her way to the kitchen.

She almost missed Ranma, slumped down on the couch with her head wrapped in a huge pair of earphones. On the coffee table next to her sat a laptop with the 3D image of Ranko-chan spinning slowly on the screen. In her lap was the fetal heart monitor.

Akane stepped up behind her mate and lifted the headphones off her ears. She put them on herself and listened to the strong rhythmic beating of the tiny heart. She took them off again and gazed down at the pregnant redhead, "Well, it sounds like you still have a baby down there. I thought you told me you'd lost interest in this thing."

Ranma looked up at her and frowned, "I have, but I was thinking about giving it to Akari and Ryouga before they head back to the farm. I just thought I'd have one last listen."

The look on Ranma's face told Akane there was something more to it than that, "Okay, that's a nice idea, but what's really wrong?" she asked.

Ranma looked away and said, "Nothing... nothing's wrong."

Akane stepped around the couch and sat down beside her husband. Taking her hand she said softly, "Come on, tell me what's bothering you."

Ranma sighed, "Ranko-chan hasn't kicked me yet. The book says that I should be feeling strong kicks by the twenty-third week. It's been almost twenty-five now and I've felt nothing more than a few fluttering movements. I just wanted to hear her heart beating so that..."

"So that you'd know she was still alive?" Akane finished the sentence. "Sweetheart it was no different for me. The twins almost never did things by the book, those are just guidelines anyway. Ranko-chan will start kicking you when she feels like it and then you'll wonder why it seemed so important."

"I guess you're right," Ranma said leaning against Akane's shoulder, "I just worry she's not going to be active. The spirit I remember was very energetic, I'd just hate to think of her locked inside a weak body."

Akane groaned, "Oh, I just knew Kasumi shouldn't have told you about that little boy. Look, those things are very rare and she said he was going to recover didn't she?"

"She also said he might never be strong enough to run or play with other children. It just worries me that something like that might happen to one of our kids. Maybe we shouldn't have tried having a baby this way, maybe..."

Ranma's voice trailed off and there were a few minutes of awkward silence before Akane said, "Ranma, I've never once doubted this was the right thing to do. I may have pushed you a bit too much in the beginning, but it was never meant to hurt you or our daughter. I... I love you both too much for that."

As Akane's eyes filled with tears, Ranma wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I know, Tendo. And you know me better than that. I'd never have started this thing if I hadn't really wanted to. I intend to see it through to the end, no matter what happens."

Akane sniffed back a sob and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be getting emotional like this."

"Why?" Ranma said with a smile, "Who said you had to give up being a woman just because I'm the one who's pregnant? Stop trying to act like an expectant father. That's my job, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Akane said smiling back, "You're Ranma Saotome, man amongst men. I keep being fooled by the baby and the big knockers."

"Listen you," Ranma said in mock anger, then she switched to a conspiratorial tone, "The boys won't be home from school for another hour. How about you and me go upstairs and I'll prove to you..."

There was a noise out in the garden that sounded like something large and heavy being thrown into the koi pond. It was followed by voices, deep masculine voices, that didn't sound anything like the twins.

Ranma turned around as best she could on the couch and said, "What the hell was that?"

"I'll go take a look," Akane said standing up.

"Not without me you won't," Ranma said, but after two failed attempts to roll herself off the couch she looked up with pleading eyes and said, "Don't just stand there, help me get off this damn thing."

They walked out onto the veranda and found the garden filled with large burly men wearing black gi's, each one holding some sort of club or weapon. At the center of this mob was a slim young man dressed in a white gi, his long black hair was styled fashionably and he had the air of a playboy about him.

"Sorry about the lawn ornament ladies," he said with a smirk, indicating a concrete pillar that was supposed to have a lantern atop it, "but I couldn't find the doorbell.

Ranma was about to tell the guy to go to hell when Akane stepped in front of her.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but the dojo is closed today, perhaps if you called for an appointment later in the week?"

"What happened to your offer to take on all challenges of brutal combat, I seem to remember there was a sign out front to that effect."

"Our insurance company made us take it down, they said we were sending too many challengers to the hospital."

"What a shame," the young man said, "that's why I'm here you see. Where's Ranma?"

The person in question shifted uncomfortably behind Akane. No mater how she tried, she just couldn't get into an effective fighting stance with the baby perched on top of her pelvis. Noticing the movement, Akane glanced back and asked, "Do you know this guy?"

Ranma shrugged and said, "Not a clue, but anyone who brings a gang of armed thugs to a dojo challenge is just asking for it."

Akane glared at her, "Just calm down and let me handle this." Turning back to the man in white she said, "I'm sorry, but as I said before we no longer take challenges without an appointment."

"Well then," the man said with growing impatience, "at least tell the Master of this pitiful excuse for a dojo he has company. Surely he wouldn't be so rude as to turn away an old friend without at least saying hello."

Akane turned and looked at Ranma again. "Are you sure we don't know this guy?" she whispered, "He does look familiar."

"Maybe," mused the redhead, "I've beaten up so many idiots. He could be any one of them."

Akane turned back to the young man who looked like he was about to explode. His red face suddenly jogged her memory, "Were you a student here at one time?"

"Oh yeah," piped up Ranma, "I remember now. You're that snotty little rich kid with the weird name."

"I know the one," Akane added, "he owes us for two months instruction. What's his name again? It always reminded me of something... was it Sukiyaki?"

"No," Ranma said, "I think it was Chazuke."

"That's not it either, maybe Domburi?"

They both stared expectantly at the young man. His face grew redder and redder as they reeled off the names of one hot pot dish after another. Finally he burst out, "It's Nabe damn it! Nabe! Yoshi Nabe, your former star pupil. The same one Ranma said would never amount to anything. Well I'm here to show that cocky egotistical show-off he was wrong. Now cut the crap and go get him."

Akane felt the pressure from Ranma's battle aura pressing at her back as she said calmly, "I'm sorry Nabe-kun, but _Master _Saotome is not at home." She put a heavy emphasis on her husband's title, "He's been out of the country for several months and we don't expect him to return for several more. Perhaps if you returned, by yourself, in the spring..."

Dismissing her with a wave of his hand, Yoshi turned to his men, "Ichiro, Jiro, go find the son of a bitch and drag his cowardly ass out here."

Two of the henchmen, one carrying a baseball bat and the other a pair of nunchaku, stepped towards the house.

"Stop right there," Akane said sternly, "I've already told you Master Saotome is not home, now I'm asking you _nicely_ to leave."

The two men just laughed and advance on the veranda. "Outta the way lady." Ichiro said just moments before Akane's foot slammed into his face sending him sailing into Jiro who dropped his baseball bat and fell over backwards to the ground.

Rebounding off the man's face, Akane executed a back flip and landed in a fighting stance on the veranda just in front of Ranma. "Don't you dare get involved in this!" she hissed at the redhead.

"Who me?" Ranma said innocently as she stopped herself from crossing and recrossing her arms. "You seem to be doing just fine so far."

On the ground, Jiro rolled the unconscious body of Ichiro off of himself and staggered to his feet. Seeing the fierce little woman with short dark hair on the porch, he assumed his own fighting stance and charged at her.

Akane leaped into the air, somersaulting into a pike position and dove at her opponent. Grabbing him around the head with her left arm she flipped him over her shoulder as she landed feet first on the grass. She let go and Jiro splashed into the koi pond some ten meters away.

She was now halfway between the group of men and the porch. Glaring at Yoshi she spat out, "Stay the hell out of my home!"

He smiled wickedly and said with a casual snap of his fingers, "Saburo, Shiro, take care of this pesky woman."

Two more men separated from the group and stepped over the still unconscious body of Ichiro. One carried a tonfa style nightstick and the other a length of pipe. First they circled to either side of Akane, effectively flanking her, then they advanced from opposite sides, brandishing their weapons.

Akane dropped to the ground and tumbled backwards toward the veranda. Reaching the first step she planted one foot firmly on the edge and launched herself at the startled men. Twisting in midair, she spun her feet at them landing multiple blows on each of their heads before grabbing them with her knees and pulling them together in a scissor action. The henchmen's heads slammed together with a resounding thunk and they collapsed into a heap.

Akane dropped to ground along with them using the momentum to roll herself backwards and push into a handstand. Then she vaulted back onto the veranda. "How am I doing?" she asked Ranma with a satisfied grin.

"Not bad Tendo, nice legs." Ranma said with an analytical poise that belied her true concern. "You might try something a little less flashy next time."

"Thanks, I'll do that."

A very irritated looking Yoshi turned on the remaining men, "Quit screwing around you guys! I told you, these people are serious martial artists. Now Goro and Rokuro, take care of her and use your brains for a change!"

Two more men advanced. The larger of the two simply folded his arms over the two-by-four he was carrying and assumed a wait-and-see posture, but the smaller man threw down the sticks he had been carrying and assumed a fighting stance.

"Akane," Ranma whispered, "that's an Akkido stance. Stay cool, he's expecting you to attack."

Akane nodded and adjusted her own stance slightly. She locked gazes with the man as they sized each other up. When she was certain she had his complete and undivided attention she puckered her lips and blew him a kiss.

As his eyes grew wide Akane launched herself straight upwards. Catching the edge of the roof overhang with her hand, she flipped lightly onto the rooftop. Crouching there momentarily to gauge her jump she then propelled herself far out over the garden and dropped straight down on top of the man.

Taken completely off guard he threw his hands ineffectively over his head and braced for the impact. It would have been over in another second if the two-by-four hurled by the other man had not struck Akane in the shoulder sending her tumbling sideways across the lawn.

She rolled a few times and then leapt to her feet only to have her arms instantly pined to her sides by the big man. He embraced her in a bear hug from behind and she tried to throw him, but his weight was too great and his stance too firm. She writhed in his arms and tried to break free, but the big man simply squeezed the breath out of her and she went limp.

"Akane!" Ranma roared from the porch as her battle aura exploded across the yard. The remaining henchmen cringed before it, but unfortunately the only two who did not seem affected were Yoshi and the big man holding Akane. "Let her go or so help me..."

"Or you'll do what mommy? Who finally knocked you up anyway?" Yoshi laughed at her. He walked over to where the big man held Akane off the ground. "Nice work Goro. Remind me to buy you a new chew toy later." The big man grinned at the joke and Yoshi lifted Akane's chin. Their eyes met and he laughed again. "I don't remember you being this vicious Saotome-san. Weren't you the one who always taught the kiddy classes?"

Akane pulled her chin from his grip and kicked at his groin, but Goro twisted to the left and the kick went wide. "At least kids know how to fight fair," she spat out, her anger rising to its peak.

"Oh, but isn't the whole philosophy of this school that anything goes?" Yoshi leaned in as close as he dared and leered at her, "Or does that only apply to the good guys?"

From the veranda Ranma shouted, "Hey, leave her alone Chanko!"

The effect of that name on Yoshi was immediate and devastating. His face went pale and his head whipped around to find Ranma facing him with her hands defiantly on her hips. For half a second he could have sworn it was his old teacher laughing down at him again. "Don't call me that!" he bellowed as he bounded up onto the porch.

Yoshi made a grab for Ranma's neck, but she dodged it easily. However, when she tried to right herself she overcompensated and tripped forward right into the young man's arms. Too shocked by the slip to take advantage of it, Yoshi clumsily helped the pregnant woman stand back up again.

"Easy there," he said almost apologetically, "I don't want to hurt either of you. My business is with that brother of yours. So, just call him out or tell me where he is."

Ranma looked up at him, her fury dampened by her inability to regain her balance. She realized now there was nothing she could do, at least not while she was like this. "Look Nabe-kun. The man you're looking for isn't here and he won't be here until spring. Search the house if you want, but you won't even find his clothes."

"Where is he then?"

"I told you before," Akane shouted from her confinement, "He's out of the country on an extended training trip."

Doubt crossed Yoshi's face for a moment, but then he smiled and turned back to Ranma. "Okay, so he's not in Japan, but wherever he is you can get in touch with him, can't you little sister?"

Ranma looked at the angry young man and realized that nothing was going to satisfy him now but a face-to-face with her male half. That wasn't possible, but if she could make the idiot think it was he might go away long enough for her to think of something else. "Yeah, but even he can't just catch a flight out of the Himalayas and be here by dinner time. It'll take a couple of days."

"Really, the Himalayas? How conveniently remote, I suppose the best thing for me to do now is just go home and wait a few days until he gets back." Yoshi turned to his men and shrugged comically. A ripple of laughter passed through those who were still conscious.

Chuckling himself, Yoshi stepped from the veranda and walked over to where Akane was being held. "But if I do that what guarantee do I have Ranma will show up at all. Suppose I just hold onto the little missus here as an insurance policy."

"Oh no, not again," Ranma muttered under her breath. Then with a sigh she said aloud, "You can't do that, it's kidnapping."

"Do you hear that boys? It's kidnapping!" Yoshi shouted in mock horror, then turning serious he said "Listen little sister, kidnapping and extortion are my business. One more hostage won't change my life a bit. I suggest you get on the line to that no account brother of yours and tell him if he wants to see his wife again he'll be here in..."

"Three days," Ranma said decisively, "the soonest he can be here is three days from now."

Akane's eyes went wide and she screamed, "No! Don't do it! I'll never forgive you Ran..." A huge hand clamped over her mouth, cutting her off.

"I'm sorry Akane," Ranma said, "he's given me no other choice. It'll be all right, you'll see." Turning to Yoshi she raised her battle aura for emphasis, "You so much as touch Akane or let anyone else touch her and I swear you'll regret it. Come back here in three days and don't bring all these goons with you. You'd better be fully prepared to face Ranma Saotome one on one. Got that Chanko?"

Yoshi gritted his teeth against the intensity of the redhead's aura, "S-s-stop calling me that! Tell your worthless brother he better be here, that's all I've got to say" Unable to look her in the eye any longer he turned to his men, "Okay, pick these guys up and let's get out of here."

Ranma watched as the gang picked up their fallen comrades and dragged them out the back gate. Then Goro carried the still kicking and screaming Akane out with him. Finally Yoshi stood at the gate and pointed a finger at Ranma and shouted, "Three days!" then he too disappeared.

She stood waiting on the veranda for several minutes, her battle aura still seething, until she was sure they were all gone. Then she turned slowly and holding her swollen belly with one hand staggered back into the house.

Leaning heavily on the back of the sofa she screamed in rage. "God damn it! I am not this weak!" she whipped around and sliced cleanly through a glass vase sitting on the bureau with the side of her hand. Shards of glass and the silk flowers it contained scattered across the floor.

Ranma tried to control her breathing and force herself to relax, but it wouldn't happen. Suddenly sobs shook her and tears welled up in her eyes. She collapsed against the wall and was still there crying twenty minutes later when she heard the front door open and a pair of young voices call out, "We're home!"

She rubbed her eyes dry and hurried out into the hallway to intercept the twins before they could see all the broken glass. "Welcome home!" she tried to sound as normal as possible, "Did you guys have a good day at school?"

"Uh huh!" beamed Hideto, "We learned about samurai's today."

"It was really cool," Masato added excitedly, "they wore clothes just like the ones in grandmother Saotome's living room!"

"And they used swords like hers too!"

"Is grandmother a samurai?"

Ranma smiled at their enthusiasm, "No, but sometimes she thinks she is." Lowering herself gently to the floor she gather the boys up in a big double hug. "Listen, your mama has gone on a business trip and she'll be away for a few days."

"A business trip?" Masato asked.

"Like daddy used to take?" added Hideto.

"Yup, just like that. So until she gets back it's just us guys, okay?

The boys looked at one another quizzically and then said in unison, "Okay!"

"Great, now go upstairs and change out of your uniforms."

As the boys marched up the stairs, Hideto asked his brother, "What did mommy mean by 'us guys'?"

"Beats me," Masato said, "mommy no baka."

Ranma hung her head, "That's it! Even my boys have forgotten who I am."

She stood up and marched down the hall to the bath. Grabbing the wastebasket off the floor, she picked up the bar of waterproof soap from the sink and dropped it into the bin. Then she turned and headed for the furo, intent on disposing of all the magic soap.

As she passed the full-length mirror on the wall beside the inner door she caught her image reflected there. She gazed at her profile with the bulging breasts and protruding belly. This was not a portrait of the world's greatest martial artist! But the longer she stared at herself the more she began to understand the full consequence of what she was about to do.

Her hand caressed the curve of her abdomen as a flutter of movement rippled below the surface. She looked at her own face reflected in the mirror and said, "Who are you kidding Saotome?"

She dug the bar of soap from the wastebasket and put it back on the sink then dropped the bin in the corner on her way out of the bathroom. She rushed down the hall to the living room, stepped carefully over the broken glass and picked up the telephone. She dialed a few numbers and waited.

"Hello, Hibiki residence," Ryouga's mother said at the other end.

"Hello, this is Ranma. Is Ryouga there?"

"Certainly dear, he's sitting right here. How's the baby?"

"Just fine. Thank you for asking."

"What's up pal," Ryouga said taking the phone.

Ranma choked back nearly thirty years of masculine pride and said, "I need your help."

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) Tai-Chi - Chinese martial art characterized by slow precise movements each having a descriptive name like 'Grab the Sparrow's Tail' or 'Stroke the Horse's Mane'.

(2) kata - this is an established pattern of martial arts moves used either for practice, exhibition or to warm up before a match.

(1) nabe - a type of Japanese stew known as 'one-pot', some examples are Sukiyaki, Chazuke, and Domburi.

(2) gi - the traditional outfit worn by martial artists for practice or combat.

(3) nunchaku - also known as nun chucks, these are a pair of short sticks connected at one end by a chain or rope.

(4) tonfa - is the precursor of the modern police nightstick, it has a medium length baton with a side handle attached near one end.

(5) Akido - is a Japanese martial art that focuses on the use of ki energy, it is generally known as a defensive style of martial art.

(6) chanko nabe - a type of stew served to sumo wrestlers to fatten them up.

(7) samurai - the name given to elite solders during Japan's feudal period.

(8) furo - name for the deep soaking bathtubs preferred by the Japanese.


	10. Chapter 9 – Showdown at the Okasa Corral

**Chapter 9 - Showdown at the Okaasan Corral**

Goro swiped the card unlocking the door and took a step inside. He anxiously looked around the room as he switched on the light and then flattened his bulky frame against the door. "This is the best room we gots ma'am. I swears it is! If ya don't like dis one, I gots nowhere else ta take ya."

Akane stepped past the big man and scanned the room with a discriminating eye. It was just your average businessman's hotel room, but it had a king-size bed and a mini-bar. She opened the bathroom using both hands, because they were bound together by a thick white plastic tie-wrap, then entered and inspected it with great care. It was clean and the tub did have massage jets.

She walked back out into the room and sat on the bed, which seemed firm enough. There was no wall screen in the room, but the old style digital TV was pretty big. Standing up again, she walked to the window and looked down at the street. Again using her bound hands, she pulled open the window and listened to the muffled sound of traffic on the street far below.

"Hey," Goro shouted, "don't open da window. Ya promised ya wouldn't escape if I brought ya to a nice place."

Akane turned and smiled, "Relax Goro-kun, even my husband and I wouldn't be foolish enough to leap out of a ninth floor window."

"Oh yeah," the big man said with a blush, "I fergot we was on the top floor. So wha'da ya think?"

"Well this is certainly better than spending three days in a room where the bathtub is shaped like a martini glass." Akane chuckled. The big man's first choice for a place to keep her had been a love hotel.

"Geeze ma'am, I'm sorry 'bout that. We don't take too many women hostage, ya know."

"That's quite all right," Akane said calmly. "Are you sure this'll be okay with your boss?"

"Aw, Nabe-dono don't care where we keeps hostages as longs they don't run off. Sides, my muther runs dis place so it won't even cost him nuttin."

Akane glanced back out the window, "Tell me Goro-kun, does this hotel have room service?"

"You mean like bringin' food to yer room?" The big man scratched his head, "Uh... I don't think so."

Akane smiled sweetly, "Then would you mind running across the street to that little Italian restaurant and getting me an order of linguine with pesto sauce, some garlic bread and a bottle of Chianti? I do have to eat you know."

"Oh, yeah sure ya do, but... uh... I was just gonna bring ya back some ramen."

"Really Goro-kun," Akane said pouring on the motherly guilt, "What would your mother say if she found out you were holding a woman against her will in this hotel and wasn't even willing to let her choose what could very well be her last meal?"

Goro glanced over his shoulder as if he expected to find his mother standing in the hallway. He swallowed hard and said, "I guess yer right. I'll get ya the Lamborghini with pesky sauce and that key-ante stuff. Ya just sit tight ma'am."

The big man backed out of the room and Akane heard the door bolt automatically as it closed. She uncrossed her wrists by raising her left arm high above her head and slipped her hands easily out of the restraint. Tossing the plastic ring onto the bed she turned back to the open window. If necessary it would be an easy jump to the roof of the six-story building across the street.

She turned from the window, crossed to the bed and stretched out on it. Three days in a comfortable hotel room with nothing to do but watch TV and maybe read a good book or two (if she could con Goro into buying it for her) was just the sort of getaway she needed. Now if only she could be sure Ranma wasn't planning to do something stupid.

She sat up and lifted the handset off the telephone on the nightstand, but not surprisingly there was no dial tone. After Goro returned with dinner she could jump out the window and find a telephone to call home, but the big man had proven to be so pliable that she just might be able to talk him into activating the phone for a while.

In either case she was worried about what her pregnant husband was up to. Could she talk Ranma out of changing back into a man? Once the redhead made up her mind, she could be as stubborn as any mule. Especially when it involved a martial arts challenge!

"Maybe I should call someone else just as stubborn first?" she mused while standing up and crossing to the mini-bar. She broke the seal on the little refrigerator and opened it up. "Yeah," she said reaching for a box of Pocky sticks, "I'll call daddy."

o o o

Ranma watched silently as Akari poured tea and tried to smile reassuringly, but it just didn't have the same effect as one of Kasumi's smiles. "Thanks Akari," she said despondently. Then she picked up the teacup and sat back on the couch with a sigh.

Ryouga strode into the room with a big grin on his face, "Well, the twins are in bed. Those guys really are a handful!" You could tell just by the look on his face that the big man couldn't wait to become a father. It suited him, he still had the boundless spirit of a wandering martial artist pent up inside. A child was going to be the perfect outlet for that energy.

Akari walked up to him and with a frown whispered, "Ranma's really upset over this. What do you think we should do?"

"What else, I'll beat the crud out of this Nabe character and get Akane back. Simple."

"No," Akari said punching him playfully in the stomach, "I mean right now. She looks depressed and she won't tell me when she ate last. The doctor keeps telling me how important nutrition is during pregnancy, so I'm worried."

Ryouga looked puzzled. In all the years since he'd first met Ranma he'd never once known his friend and rival to have a problem eating. "Well... we could have something delivered. Maybe she'd like a pizza?"

"No, I can cook something here. I'm just not sure she'll..."

"You know," Ranma said from the couch, "if you're going to talk about someone behind their back, at least have the decency to go out in the hallway where I can't hear you."

"Sorry pal," Ryouga said, "we don't do a lot of whispering out on the farm."

"And just so you'll stop worrying," Ranma added, "I ate dinner with the boys about an hour ago."

"Fair enough," Ryouga said while stifling Akari's attempt to ask just how much the redhead had eaten. He crossed over and squatted down beside the couch. "Tell me what you know about Nabe, just how good a fighter is he?"

"About all I can remember," Ranma said after draining her teacup, "is he was an arrogant little brat with absolutely no patience. He was kyu-level when he started here and maybe first-dan when he got fed up and left. He came here wanting me to specifically teach him something or other, but I haven't been able to recall just what."

Ryouga nodded, "And you said that was before the twins were born, so he's had a good seven or eight years to improve. Still, there's no way he could have reached our level by now."

"No," Ranma said with a troubled look, "but he must have something up his sleeve to even dream of challenging me. He may have picked up some technique that he thinks will make him invincible. Still, he's a cowardly little punk bringing a big gang with him like that."

"What were his men like? Any chance he's bought himself an invincible army?"

"No, they were just a bunch of thugs and street fighters. A few of them showed signs of training, but nothing advanced. One definitely knew both karate and aikido, but Akane totally faked him out. In fact Akane was destroying them until she let her guard down. I keep telling her not to..."

The words caught in Ranma's throat and she turned away from Ryouga in embarrassment.

"Akane'll be okay," Ryouga said reassuringly. "They wouldn't dare hurt her. Besides, I'll bet she's pretty good at handling herself when she's a hostage. Back in high school it seemed like she was being kidnapped every couple of weeks. She must have gotten plenty of practice."

"University too," Ranma said with exasperation, "at least a dozen times. Then after we got married and right up until she became pregnant with the boys, but this is the first time since then. I was convinced her bad luck ended when the twins came along."

The sound of the front door opening drifted through the house and then of small feet running down the hallway. Suddenly Hinako-chan burst into the room with a fifty-yen coin at the ready, "Step away Ryouga-kun! This is for your own good Ranma-kun, just relax and don't misbehave!"

Ranma leaned forward with some difficulty and set her teacup on the table. Turning around to face the overanxious little girl she started to say, "Hinako, what in the name of..."

Then Soun rushed into the room and had Ranma in his arms before the redhead could switch gears and tell him to stop. "This is for your own good Ranma, don't put up a fight," the big man said as he turned and raced towards the hallway.

"Careful honey," cried out the little girl, "I haven't drained her yet."

"Put me down!" Ranma screamed, "Dad, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

As Ranma and Soun disappeared down the hall with Ryouga hot on their heels, Akari walked up to the diminutive schoolteacher and asked, "Excuse me sensei, but just what _are _the two of you doing here?"

"We got a call from Akane-chan," Hinako said excitedly, "She told us that Ranma-kun was being bad and refused to take her bath. I can't stand bad girls who refuse to do as they're told."

"But," Akari said trying to keep in mind that the petulant little girl in front of her was actually older than she was, "Ranma took her bath with the twins about half an hour ago. She used the waterproof soap too. That's why Ryouga and I are here, he's going to fight Akane's kidnapper. Not Ranma."

"Oh," Hinako said with a flustered look, "That's okay then. Hey, you wanna play hide and seek?"

A few minutes later an angry, but still dry Ranma stormed back into the living room followed by a pair of drenched, contrite looking men.

"You could've at least asked first, dad." Ranma spat out.

"It's usually better to act first and ask questions later when dealing with you, son." In spite of being soaked, Soun was making things worse by bawling his eyes out.

Akari looked skeptically at her dripping husband and asked, "Why are _you _all wet?"

"Let's just say you missed a chance to snuggle the piglet," Ryouga said while wiping his face with a towel he'd brought from the bathroom, "and just leave it at that."

Ranma plopped down on the couch and crossed her arms insolently, "I can't believe she had a chance to use the phone and called you instead of me!"

Hinako crawled up on the sofa next to her son-in-law and patted the redhead's shoulder, "Akane-chan was worried about you Ranma-kun. You do have a bad reputation when it comes to fighting. She just wanted us to make sure you didn't do something that might hurt little Ranko-chan."

"She should trust me more than that," Ranma said glumly, but in truth she was more upset with herself for having even considered it than with Akane. "Did she sound all right? Did those bastards hurt her?"

"She's fine," Soun said wiping away his tears with the dishtowel Akari brought him from the kitchen. "They're holding her in a hotel somewhere near the harbor, but she wouldn't tell us exactly where. She said it might make things worse if we tried to rescue her."

"She's probably right," Ryouga said, "it sounds like this guy Nabe won't be satisfied until someone's beaten him to a pulp."

"Maybe not even then," Ranma said gravely. "Ryouga, I probably shouldn't even ask you this, but you may have to do more than just beat him up. I don't want this guy ever coming back to threaten my family again, especially after the baby comes."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room that was only broken a few minutes later by the ringing of the telephone. Before anyone else could react, Ranma had vaulted the couch, raced to the dinning room and had the phone in her hand. "Akane? Are you all right? Why didn't you call me? Huh... Yeah, I love you too..."

As Ranma settled into a corner of the dinning room with the phone, the others gravitated back to the living room. Soun joined Hinako on the couch as Ryouga and Akari headed towards the veranda. The fang-toothed martial artist wrapped his arms around his petite wife to shelter her from the chilly autumn night air.

"Ryou," Akari whispered, "about what Ranma was saying..."

"Don't worry," Ryouga said, "it probably won't come to that."

"If it does, just consider what Ranma would do if it was someone coming after you, me and our baby."

"I already have Ri-chan," Ryouga squeezed her tightly to his chest as they gazed out at the moonlit water of the koi pond, "He'd kill the bastard."

o o o

The next morning Nodoka & Akari knelt near the shrine in her son's dojo watching the drama unfold on the practice floor. Genma, Soun and the Hibiki boy stood facing the defiant figure of Ranma's cursed form, her twenty-five week old baby greatly evident in the leotard she was wearing.

Nodoka had disliked Ryouya from the moment she first heard him threaten her son's life. He had stood as best man for Ranma's wedding over her objections. The fact that he lived on a farm far from Tokyo only made her feel more at ease. Yet, the way he jumped to her son's defense in this crisis had earned him some points in Nodoka's book of manly acts.

She turned her attention to the argument going on out on the practice floor. Ranma's cursed girl had called them all here this morning to try and convince the elder masters of the Art to help her regain her balance. Nodoka cared little for what the little redhead wanted and she had told Genma that the baby was not to be harmed under any circumstance.

"Doing katas just doesn't help, pop," Ranma rebuked her father for the umpteenth time, "if I'm ever going to get back in shape, I've got to do some _real _sparing."

"Why do you need to get back into shape?" Genma griped. He found himself in the bizarre position of trying to talk his son out of a workout, but nobody else seemed to acknowledge how dangerous this was. "Hibiki-kun has already agreed to deal with this idiot who took Akane and you know Tendo and I will back him up. Why do you even need to be there?"

"Because he challenged _me_! I promised he would face _me_! I'm honor bound to be there even if I'm not fighting, but I'll just be putting Ryouga at risk if I can't even get out of the way of a badly thrown punch. Please pop, all I'm asking for is some defensive sparring. I promise you won't hurt the baby."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow at that. It was always disquieting to here Ranma's words come out in that lilting soprano voice. She wondered how much her manly young son had to struggle against the female cruse in order to be heard.

Genma suddenly looked imploringly to her for guidance, but Nodoka merely bowed her head in silence. Her husband already knew how she felt. The protection of their granddaughter was the _only _issue here today.

"Ranma," Genma said plaintively, "there's no way to insure Ranko-chan's safety and you can't expect us to spar effectively if we're forced to pull punches."

Ranma gave her father an imploring look, "Pop, I've never known you to pull punches with a student, but I've also never known you to hit one in a sore spot either. If we work up to it slowly and I get my balance back you can throw lightening bolts at me and they'll never touch Ranko-chan."

Genma bent over and placed his hands on his knees, trying not to look the little redhead in the eye. _He's weakening_, Nodoka thought. She knew he had one soft spot when it came to the Art and Ranma was playing right to it.

"Please pop, you're the best teacher of the Art I've ever known. You took a six-year-old boy who hates to get up in the morning and turned him into the greatest martial artist in the world. Are you telling me you can't teach one pregnant woman how to dodge a punch?"

"Okay," Genma said straightening up, "Enough! We'll try it, but just you and me. One on one and we stop the first time I even come close to the baby. You hear me boy? If that little girl so much as wakes up because of this..."

Ranma grinned triumphantly, "She won't, pop. I promise."

Genma backed up a couple of steps and dropped into a boxing stance. Ranma relaxed and bent her knees, but even Nodoka could tell that her stance was too wide. Genma looked as if he were about to break stance and correct her when Ranma smirked and crossed her wrists in front of her, "Come on old man, show me how you throw a punch."

Genma advanced and then danced to the right. He threw a couple of jabs at Ranma's head, which she easily dodged. He danced to the left and threw a right hook that whizzed through the empty space where a head full of red hair had been a moment before.

With a smirk Ranma said, "Geeze pop, I though I was the one who needed the workout."

The older man snickered, "Don't get cocky boy!" Then he threw two quick jabs and another hook. Before Ranma had time to make another snide remark Genma dropped low and aimed a hard right jab at the girl's left thigh. He intended to give her a big enough bruise to prove his point and end this dangerous game, but at the last second Ranma shifted her weight and dropped down in front of his punch. Instead of her thigh he was now aimed squarely at her swollen abdomen.

Nodoka leapt to her feet as Akari screamed. Both Ryouga and Soun lunged at Genma, but they were hopelessly too late. Nodoka squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see her child take the blow.

When she dared to open them again, Genma was on his knees in front of Ranma. His trembling fist hung frozen in mid-air a mere centimeter from Ranma's belly. Sweat drenched his whole body and the veins in his arm stood out like a relief map.

Crouched in front of him, unruffled and unmoved, Ranma smiled sweetly. She took hold of his fist with both of her hands and massaged it gently. Genma opened his eyes and stared slack jawed at her. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Why?" she said for him, "Because you wouldn't have tried it yourself. You can control your punches better than anyone I know. I knew you wouldn't hit me and now so do you." Gently she lifted his still clenched fist to her cheek and brushed it against his rough knuckles. "I trust you, pop." Then she moved his hand to her abdomen, where she pried open his fingers and laid them gently over Ranko-chan. "I trust you with both our lives."

Nodoka's mind was reeling. How could Ranma have done such an irrational thing? How could she put so much trust into that fool of a father after all he had done to her as a child? As she watched the tender exchange between father and daughter with some envy, she felt herself wanting to rush over and either slap the girl senseless or hug her and never let go.

Ranma stood up with Genma's help. She looked around at the three men and her smile lit up the big room. It was as if her skin was aglow and with total confidence she said, "Okay guys, let's get started. You call the shots, pop."

o o o

Three hours later, Nodoka stood on the practice floor with the others holding a katana in her hands. In spite of her obsession with collecting the traditional Japanese swords, she actually knew very little about using them. Swordsmanship was not something a girl of her generation was allowed to learn. However, for this exercise it wasn't necessary for her to actually do anything with the blade other than try and hold onto it. The three men were also armed with a katana and they all stood in a circle around Ranma.

At the center of the circle Ranma quietly prepared herself with a breathing exercise. She had been going non-stop for this entire time and the progress she'd made amazed Nodoka. She had always taken her son's abilities for granted, but watching this girl progress from simple defensive moves up through greater and more complex ones in so short a time demonstrated what an amazingly talented person her child really was.

Ranma had demonstrated something else to Nodoka today. Throughout the ordeal, the girl had exhibited the same drive and determination she always associated with her son. The redhead was even capable of being just as cocky. But she had also shown a tenderness and compassion that was wholly consistent with her gender and the delicate condition she was in. Nodoka probably would never admit it to anyone, but she was becoming very proud of the girl.

Ranma closed her eyes and signaled she was ready. Silently the others began circling the redhead, katanas at the ready. Nothing happened for several seconds, but then suddenly Nodoka found herself standing where Ranma had been with her hands empty. Her wrists stung a little, but the men seemed to have faired much worse. They were all sprawled across the floor trying to shake off the pain.

Ranma stood to one side next to a tripod formed by three of the katanas. The forth she balanced on the tip of her finger as she stood on one leg and massaged her tummy with the other hand. "I think that pretty much covers disarming multiple attackers with real swords, don't you dad?"

Soun groaned from his position on the floor, "I only suggested we try it with real swords because those thugs aren't likely to show up with bokens."

Ryouga sat up, still rubbing his sore wrist. "Maybe we should take a break. We've been at this for hours now."

"Nonsense," Genma said, dragging himself to his feet, "we still need to work on pole weapons and hurled objects."

Ranma seemed to droop a little as she placed the katana she'd been balancing with the others. "Pop's right. We've only got today and tomorrow to get ready for this and I want Ryouga to get in some practice time too-oo-oo..."

Nodoka watched the color drain from Ranma's face, then her knees went rubbery and she keeled over. Whoever said you couldn't move quickly in a kimono has never seen a desperate mother lunging to catch her falling child. Before any of the men even knew she was in trouble, Ranma lay comfortably in Nodoka's lap.

"Hibiki-kun," Nodoka ordered, "she needs water. Get some from the kitchen and don't spill any on yourself!" Ryouga jumped up and raced for the house.

"What's wrong with her?" Genma asked with a stricken look.

"What's wrong is you idiots have been driving her too hard for the last three hours. She's a woman, not a robot." Nodoka swept the hair from Ranma's forehead and rested her own against it. "She's a little feverish, but not enough to be worried about yet."

Ranma groaned as her eyes fluttered open, "Mom?"

"Yes sweetheart, I've got you. When was the last time you ate a meal?"

Ranma blinked in surprise, "Uh... breakfast I guess. I ate something when I fed the boys."

"What did you eat?" Nodoka demanded.

"Well... a banana."

"All you've eaten today is a single banana?" Nodoka became livid when the girl nodded, "Do you actually think you and your baby can survive on a single banana?"

"I'm sorry, mo..." Ranma checked herself this time, knowing how much her mother disliked being called 'mom' by her girl half.

Nodoka turned to Akari, "Hibiki-chan, would you run to the kitchen and get a glass of milk. Mix in half a cup of rice from the cooker and a little sugar. That should hold her over until we can get some real food into her." Akari jumped up and rushed from the dojo.

"Ranma-chan, your fathers are going out to get you something to eat, what would you like?"

"We are?" Genma and Soun said in unison, but a nasty glare from Nodoka put an end to their objections.

Ranma looked stunned, but she managed to stammer out, "Uh... takoyaki would be nice and maybe some mint chocolate chip ice cream."

"Got that?" Nodoka demanded of her husband.

"Yeah, fried octopus dumplings and some ice cream for dessert."

"No," Ranma said weakly, "not for dessert. All mixed together."

Soun and Genma exchanged disgusted looks. "All mixed together?"

"You heard what my little girl said," Nodoka shouted at them, "now go to the convenience store and get it!"

As the two men hurried out the door leaving them alone, Ranma stared up at her mother in disbelief. "Mom?"

"Yes sweetheart, what is it?"

"You... you just called me your... your little girl."

Nodoka smiled down at her, "Yes... I guess I did, didn't I? I've been thinking about it and it seems silly of me to treat you like someone separate from my son, when you're so obviously the same person. But you're not my _son _right now, are you? You're my _daughter _and I'm very proud of you. Of course when you're my son again I expect you to act accordingly."

Tears began to fill the corners of Ranma's eyes as she tried to speak without crying, "Mom... I... I will. I promise."

"You know, you really shouldn't act quite so arrogant when you look like this. It's not becoming for a young woman to be so boastful. Of course I blame your father for not teaching you proper etiquette after he caused all this. I suppose you don't know the first thing about the tea ceremony or flower arrangement either?"

"No mom, not really." Tears streamed down Ranma's cheeks even as her face ached from the huge smile splitting it in two. Her mother was talking to her girl half like a real person for the first time since she pretended to be Ranko Tendo and an eleven-year rift between them was finally beginning to mend.

o o o

Akane reached into the pile of Mahjong tiles and picked one out. Looking at it she smiled, placed it with the rest of her hand and laid the whole thing down at once.

Goro groaned, "Aw crap! Not again."

The tiny woman across the table from Akane backhanded the big man across the face, "Mind your mouth Goro-chan!"

The forth person at the table, a little weasel of a man named Shichiro, laughed and was rewarded with a backhanded slap of his own.

"You be quiet and count up the points, it's your deal."

"I'm sorry mama," Goro said apologetically while rubbing the red spot on his cheek. "but ya guys keep on winnin' and it's gettin' expensive."

Akane met Goro's mother Takara on her second day of captivity when the woman's curiosity was piqued by all the exotic food her son kept taking up to room 904. She and Akane hit it off right away and the extra company had certainly made the time go by more easily. It was already the third day and as soon as Nabe showed up she would be going home.

She alone knew what awaited them back at the dojo. Takara had turned on the telephone for her after taking several incoming calls from Ranma. So she knew Ryouga was going to fight Nabe and that Ranma had worked hard to regain her defensive skills so that she could be there as well.

Akane had been delighted to hear about Nodoka's long overdue acceptance of Ranma's girl half, but it had already caused her husband quite a bit of undue stress. Nodoka was now constantly giving her daughter advice on how to act more like a proper Japanese lady and had already dragged the redhead off for a shopping trip to buy more maternity clothes.

Shichiro hunched over a pad of paper and scribbled away furiously with a stubby little pencil, "Uh... that's 800 points, so... let's see, that's..."

"...Another 2400 yen from you two." Akane said with a wink at Takara. "Looks like we'll get that trip to the onsen sooner than we though, eh Sato-san?"

"I think you're right Saotome-san." Goro's mother winked back.

Takara had been trying to get her son to send her on a weekend trip to the hot springs in Hakone for ages and enlisted Akane to help her hustle him into finally paying for it. Akane didn't know how the middle-aged ex-prostitute was stacking the tiles in their favor and wasn't about to ask. The woman was tough as nails and scarier than her son and Nabe-kun put together.

"Shall we play another round?" Akane asked brightly, "When's your boss supposed to show up, Goro-kun?"

Goro checked his watch, "He ough'ta be here any time, but I guess it wouldn't hurt ta start 'nother round. How 'bout it Shichiro?"

"I sure wouldn't mind winning back some of my losses," the little man whined. "I'm startin' to feel like the duck here."

They mixed up the tiles in the center of the table and were just starting to stack them when Nabe threw open the door and charged into the room.

"Goro, what the hell are you doing all the way up here? I was expecting you to be in the lobby..." Nabe looked around the room in amazement. Over the last three days it had taken on more of the appearance of a home than a cheap businessman's hotel. There were nicely arranged flowers on the dresser and Takara had brought up satin sheets and a crochet comforter for the bed. "Is this your idea of a joke? Saotome's our hostage, not a visiting aunt!"

"Um... well., ya see boss dis was ma's idea..." Goro looked like a middle-schooler who had just been caught smoking in the boy's room.

"Oh," Nabe said noticing Takara for the first time, "Hello Sato-san."

"Nice to see you again too, Nabe-sama. I hope your father's well. I don't hear from him as often as I used to."

"Neither do I," Nabe closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping that reality would return when he opened them again. "Goro, just tie her up and bring her down to the car."

"You still have a chance to stop this before anyone gets hurt Nabe-kun," Akane said as the Goro tightened a plastic tie-wrap around her wrists.

Nabe turned at the door and said with a wicked grin, "Now why would I do that?"

o o o

Ranma paced nervously back and forth across the dojo floor as Ryouga sat calmly to one side watching her. Every once in a while, Ranma would slide open the door to the courtyard and peek outside, but so far there had been no sign of Nabe or Akane.

"Ranma, try and relax," Ryouga said calmly. "You're going to wear a groove in the floor. When's this guy supposed to show up anyway?"

"I don't know. Akane said something about noon, but it's not like they were telling her all their plans."

"Well it's almost twelve now," Ryouga said looking at his cell phone. "If they don't show soon I'll tell Akari to start making lunch. Otherwise I'll catch hell from your mother again."

"You know," Ranma said in a worried tone, "I don't think it was a good idea bringing Akari along. What if they go after her?"

"Those guys will never get past the dojo and Akari knows better than to leave the house."

Ryouga no sooner finished saying this when Akari popped her head in the door and said, "Uh, there's a couple of men standing in the garden and one of them has Akane. Should I bring them out here?"

"Who the hell are you?" Nabe said when Ryouga appeared on the veranda.

Ranma hung back in the living room with Akari and watched through the sliding doors. Nabe stood in the middle of the yard near the koi pond, while off to one side Akane stood with her hands bound and a piece of plastic tape across her mouth. Behind her stood the same big thug that had taken her captive three days before, restraining her with a hand on each shoulder.

"Ranma wasn't kidding," Ryouga said with a chuckle, "you are stupid. You're supposed to challenge a dojo in the dojo like a man, not by sneaking into the backyard."

"I kind of like this little garden," Nabe said with a grin, "Ranma never once invited me back here while I was a student, so I invited myself. You never answered my question."

"I suppose I owe you that much before I throw you out of here, my name's Ryouga and today I'm the bouncer."

"Very amusing," Nabe said without smiling, "Tell me funny man, just where is Ranma? Hiding in that cheap little dojo of his? He and I have an appointment today, so go fetch him before I get bored and start having fun with his wife."

Ryouga glanced at Akane and smiled. Turning back to Nabe he said, "I'm the only one you're going to have any fun with today rich boy. Ranma can't be bothered with dropouts like you. So just let Akane go and then we can move to the dojo for some real fun."

A petulant look came over Nabe's face as he trust his hands in his pockets and twirled around on his heel. Stamping his foot on the ground he shouted, "I just knew it! That spineless wimp stood me up again! And to add insult to injury he sends a hick like you to face me. Look pal, you may be strong enough to lift the hay wagon when it's full, but you are a hundred years to early to go up against me."

"Really," Ryouga snickered, "why don't we head to the dojo and just see about that."

"Why not right here country boy? I told you, I kinda like this little garden." Both Ryouga and Ranma noticed the way Nabe's eyes darted around the yard when he said this. Ryouga quickly scanned the bushes and trees, but Ranma focused on the way Nabe kept glancing at the pond.

"It doesn't matter to me where you get the crap beat out of you, but you might tell those two goons hiding in the bushes to come out in the open. If I can't see them I can't guarantee I won't throw your sorry carcass into one them."

Nabe grinned, "Not bad for a rice picker. Okay, have it your way. Hachiro! Kenji! Come out here and plant this hayseed for me."

Ranma watched with growing distress as two men emerged from the bushes at the perimeter of the garden. These were not the unskilled thugs Nabe had brought the time before. These men moved with professional adroitness and a calm sobriety that marked them as dangerous adversaries. She was relieved to see Ryouga shift his stance to a more guarded one.

"Aw, I wish you'd told me you were bringing a pair of wrestling pigs." Ryouga scoffed, "I'd have brought a couple of my own. Do you have papers for these porkers?"

The hit men ignored Ryouga's insults as they took up offensive positions in the middle of the yard. Their fighting stances were relaxed and disciplined, showing no obvious openings.

Not that Ryouga needed an opening, he made openings, and with a nonchalant shrug he charged into the yard and engaged them. He began by simply running right into Hachiro and bowling him over with shear force. The man wasn't down for long, but by the time he was on his feet again Ryouga was slamming him with roundhouse kick that carried the force of a sledgehammer.

As Hachiro rolled away from the blow, Kenji attacked with a series of quick jabs. Those that Ryouga didn't block landed ineffectively on his rock hard chest. The stunned hit man jumped back and stared wide eyed as Ryouga sent a flurry of razor sharp bandannas flying his way. He managed to deflect them all, but at the cost of reducing his sleeves to tattered shreds.

Meanwhile Ryouga turned to face Hachiro who launched into a flying kick. With a grin of pure enjoyment, Ryouga grabbed the flying man's foot and swung him forcibly around, releasing him straight at Kenji. The two men slammed into each other head-to-head and collapsed into a heap.

"Thanks for the warm up guys," Ryouga said with friendly wave to the fallen men. He turned towards Nabe with a grin and said, "Now, how about you and me rich boy?"

Even Ranma was surprised by the speed and ferocity of Ryouga's attack. That should have sent Nabe a clear message that he was far too outclassed, but for some reason the hotshot seemed completely unimpressed. With a wicked grin the young gangster took up his own fighting stance. It was a pretty good one and showed Ranma's teaching influence, but something about the way the young man held his hands sent her battle senses soaring.

"No way..." she cried, rushing to the veranda for a closer look. But what she saw in Nabe's stance and the fog of breath that formed in front of Ryouga's face only confirmed her worst fears. "Ryouga, chill out your aura!" she screamed just as the surface of the koi pond erupted in a waterspout three meters high.

Almost as soon as it formed Ranma heard Nabe shout "Hiryu Shouten Ha!" and the column of water leapt from the surface of the pond smashing into Ryouga like a giant fist. As he disappeared into the wall of ice-cold water Ranma heard her friend cry out in rage, but as the roar of the cyclone began to fade all she could hear was Nabe's cackling laughter.

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) okaa-san - the Japanese term one uses when address their own mother.

(2) kyu & dan - denotes the skill level of a martial artist. Japanese martial arts rarely use colored belts to demote skill level and anyone below a western black-belt is generally referred to as kyu-level. Above black-belt are various levels called dan, such as first-dan, second-dan, etc.

(3) boken - a wooden practice sword the same size and shape as a katana.

(4) takoyaki - fried dumplings made from octopus, batter and seasonings. It is usually sold by street vendors in Japan, but can also be found at many convenience stores.

(5) Mahjong - a Chinese game played with tiles. The Japanese version is a gambling game for four people and is sometimes played with partners.


	11. Chapter 10 – Strong Women

**Chapter 10 - Strong Women**

Akane looked on in shock as the column of water quickly engulfed Ryouga. If Nabe had waited for the power to build and fuel itself off Ryouga's hot battle aura to a point where it had enough force to actually hurt someone, their friend would have had enough time to mount a defense. But the impatient moron had released the blast almost before it was fully formed. In his haste Nabe had unwittingly launched the only attack that could defeat his opponent.

She watched as first a yellow shirt and then a pair of brown pants was carried across the lawn by the water. When the stream finally stopped it was no surprise to see an enraged soaking wet piglet with a yellow bandana around its neck jumping up and down in a small puddle on the lawn.

Nabe stared in wonder at the sight. "Whoa!" he said "The old crone never said it would do anything like that. Hot damn!" The gangster strode across the lawn for a closer look at the little pig.

"Stay away from him!" Ranma shouted from the veranda. Akane saw the look of surprise and regret in her husband's eyes. She felt sorry for the redhead, but was also glad to see that she had been splashed with more than enough cold water to prove she had indeed been using the magic soap.

"Aw," crooned Nabe as he bent over in front of P-chan, "I wouldn't hurt da widdle piggy." He stuck his hand out to grab the animal and Ryouga sunk his fangs, such as they were, deep into the fleshy part of the man's thumb. Nabe screamed and shook the piglet loose. "You little son of a..." Nabe then kicked P-chan as hard as he could, sending him flying into one of the boulders beside the pond. He ricocheted off the rock and landed on the lawn next to the water, a lifeless lump of black fur.

Akari screamed and raced from the living room onto the veranda. Ranma whipped around and caught her with one arm, dragging her back towards the house. "Akari," Ranma said in a strangely monotone voice. "Just go back into the house. Stand behind the sofa and don't come out into the yard for any reason. I promise you, that man will never touch Ryouga again!"

As she backed away from the redhead, Akari looked into Ranma's eyes. Instantly she was eight years old again. Her father's prize hog, Katashi, had broken from his pen and wandered into the nearby forest. They searched until sunset, but could find no trace of him.

The next morning he returned covered in cuts and bite marks, but otherwise okay. A week later though he fell into a fever and within a few hours was foaming at the mouth and bashing head first into anything that moved.

Akari had watched her father meticulously loading his rifle and against his wishes followed him to Katashi's pen. She could not remember the sound of the gun going off, but she would never forget the cold savage look in her father's eyes the moment before he pulled the trigger.

She saw that look now in the bright blue eyes of the pregnant martial artist in front of her. She backed away from those cold eyes and ran to hide behind the couch. Ranma was going to put down a rabid beast and Akari did not want to witness that again.

On the lawn Hachiro and Kenji had come to and were dragging themselves to their feet. They took up wobbly positions on either side of Nabe as he turned to face the porch. "So little sister. Here we are again and still no sign of that arrogant good for nothing bro..."

"Shut up Chunko," Ranma shouted from the porch. Her voiced seemed to have dropped an octave and her gaze was contemptuous. "You stupid, lazy, impatient little twerp! I don't know where a worthless piece of trash like you could have learned that technique, but I have a pretty good idea. I can't tell if she just didn't teach you the whole thing or if you were too stupid to listen, but the Heavenly Dragon Blast didn't turn Ryouga into a pig. Only a fool like you would even think something like that, Chunko."

"Don't call me that!" Nabe shouted, "Where's your brother?"

Ranma laughed, "I haven't got a brother you idiot. Don't you get it? Ryouga turned into a pig because he's cursed. An ancient Chinese curse that transforms him whenever he's struck with cold water. But he's not the only one around here with a curse. Ranma Saotome has one just like it, but _he _doesn't change into a pig."

"Oh yeah," sneered the young gangster. "Let me guess, he changes into a chicken."

"No," Ranma said with an arrogant snort, "he turns into your worst nightmare... He turns into me! I'm Ranma Saotome you jackass and I've been here all along!"

Nabe looked like he had just been punched in the stomach. His head whipped from the girl on the porch to the little black ball of fur lying by the pond. "Y-you... you c-can't be R-ranma!"

"Ever seen the two of us in the same room together?" Ranma laughed, she'd always wanted to point that out to somebody.

"It can't be," Nabe looked confused. "I can't fight _you_!"

"What's wrong Chunko, afraid to face a pregnant woman?"

Akane watched as Nabe's battle aura began to change from the cool body of ice to red-hot. She looked at Ranma, but her aura was so suppressed it was impossible to read. Then in an instant she knew what her husband was planning to do.

"Stop calling me that name!" screamed Nabe.

"What's wrong Chunko?" Ranma taunted from the veranda, "Afraid a sumo pig might come along and eat you up?"

"Shut up! I don't care if you are knocked up. If you don't shut up I'll..."

"You'll do what? Use the Hiryu Shouten Ha again?" Ranma laughed. "Don't embarrass yourself Chunko. You haven't got a clue how it really works, but I'll give you a little demonstration if you like. How about it Chunko?"

Nabe turned to the two hit men who were now pretty much back to normal, "Make that little redheaded bitch shut up!"

Akane saw Ranma move the moment Nabe turned his back. Akane moved too, she pulled forward against Goro's grip and the big man reacted by drawing the small woman tightly to his chest. Held firmly now, she used him as support to pull her knees to her chest. Then channeling all her energy into her legs, she smashed her heels down onto the big man's knees.

She felt his kneecaps tear loose and slide down exposing his leg bones for her to use as a springboard. As he screamed in agony and let go of her, she launched herself across the lawn. Smashing into the ground hard, she rolled towards the pond. When she got to where P-chan lay unconscious, she curled herself around the piglet and thrust her bound hands into the pond water. Then she began channeling off heat as fast as she could.

On the veranda Ranma had taken two steps to the edge and launched herself high into the air over the yard. Suddenly the three men standing on the lawn felt all warmth disappear from the air around them. Spider webs of ice raced across the surface of the pond as it froze with a loud crack.

When she cleared the top of the garden wall, Ranma began drawing heat from any source she could. Windowpanes in the surrounding houses frosted over in an instant. The electric transformer on the pole across the street screamed in metallic anguish as a centimeter thick shell of frost formed around it. A delivery boy's scooter suddenly sputtered to a halt, the fuel line frozen solid.

Then in the frigid air two hundred meters above the house the sound of a passing jet was lost to the growing roar as massive forces began to churn. Nabe looked up in shock and horror as a writhing funnel appeared in the sky and raced towards him. It smashed into the ground between the three men and ripped a giant hole in the lawn. The grass and dirt gave the swirling tornado form as the freight train sound of it drowned out their panicked cries.

As Ranma approached the apex of her leap she shifted her wrists and the funnel engulfed Kenji before he knew what hit him. Another shift and Hachiro was sucked up as well, his screams lost to the swirling winds. Nabe tried to run, but a flick of Ranma's wrist sent the gapping maw of the tornado after him and he quickly disappeared into the maelstrom as well.

Ranma lifted her hands skyward and the funnel jumped into the air towards her. She pulled at the swirling flow of hot and cold ki the way a child pulls on a slingshot and at the last moment before her upward momentum died she released it. The shaft of churning wind inverted itself sending its contents, including three large tattered lumps, hurtling over Tokyo on their way to the bay.

Akane rolled over and gazed up at the clearing sky just in time to see Ranma begin her descent. She was setting herself up for a diving approach at the pond when suddenly she grabbed her belly and tumbled out of control. Akane leapt to her feet and tried desperately to free her hands from the plastic restraint, but it had melted and deformed from the heat she cast off into the pond.

Ranma recovered in time to realize she was in trouble. There was no way she could make the pond now so she checked her tumble and began to fall face up towards the ruined lawn. If she landed on her shoulders, the baby should be protected from most of the shock. Ranma would probably break her neck, but the baby might survive.

Then suddenly she was swallowed up in a soft blanket of black and white hair. She rebounded off the squashy mountain of fur and was caught in mid-air by two massive black paws. Genma groaned as he rolled to one side and set his daughter gently down on the lawn where she curled into a little ball and lay still.

Akane freed herself at last and raced to her husband's side. At the same time Akari and Nodoka exploded from the living room. As Akari scooped up Ryouga from beside the pond and Nodoka fell to her knees hugging the giant panda, Akane gently touched Ranma's shoulder.

The redhead was shaking from head to foot. It seemed as though her whole body was wracked with sobs. Akane pulled on her arm, anxious to know if Ranma and the baby were all right. Ripping the plastic tape from her mouth she cried out, "Ranma! Are you okay? What happened?"

Ranma rolled over and everyone heard the laughter coming from her. "She kicked me! Ranko-chan finally kicked me! Damn, it was a good one too. Feel this Akane, she's using my belly button for a punching bag right now."

Akane grinned at her mate in relief. Only Ranma Saotome could unleash such a devastating attack, be snatched from the grasp of certain death and then laugh about the baby kicking her, all within the span of one minute! She reflected on the time she had just spent away from this outrageous world of Ranma's. It had been a nice vacation, but she was really glad to be home.

o o o

Shampoo worked her way silently through the underbrush towards the crest of the hill. Waiting for her there, crouched behind a bush was P'ur Mu, one of Shampoo's most talented group leaders. Perm was nineteen, muscular and had curly brown hair down to her shoulders.

Sensing her leader's presence, Perm waved her hand to suggest Shampoo crouch down as well. She did and crept up beside the girl. Peering through the bush, she spotted two vehicles in the small valley below. In a low cautious voice she whispered, "So they're the ones?"

Perm nodded, "Yes ma'am. PLA regulars, five men, no warriors, the leader is wearing a second lieutenant's star. They entered the valley about four hours ago and drove twenty klicks up the decoy road. Then they returned here and for the last hour have been trying to figure out how to work the GPS."

Shampoo nodded. Perm had just returned from an eighteen-month stint in the People's Liberation Army, where she'd learned more technical jargon than Shampoo ever hoped to hear. "Let me guess, they haven't looked at the manual yet?"

"It's been sitting on the hood of the staff car unopened the whole time," grinned the younger woman.

"Okay," Shampoo said decisively, "Take your team and subdue the solders. Capture the leader and return him to me here."

"It would be easier to just kill them Warrior Leader," Perm said expressionlessly.

Shampoo sighed. If Perm had one fault, it was that she was too aggressive. "No, we don't yet know why they're here. Before we decide what to do with them, let's interrogate the leader. For all we know they're just lost."

To her credit Perm didn't protest Shampoo's decision, but instead disappeared silently into the surrounding underbrush. A few minutes later the three men with rifles standing behind the truck, slumped forward in the arms of the three young Amazon's. Shampoo watched as her warriors silently snuck up on the two men arguing over the hood of the sand colored land cruiser.

Perm quickly subdued the remaining soldier while the other two disarmed and restrained the man in the officer's uniform. Shampoo was pleased with the speed and efficiency of the team. She thought such talents might just be wasted out here patrolling the perimeter.

A few minutes later the three warriors slipped into the clearing with the PLA lieutenant suspended between Shin I'pu on one arm and Kulee I'pu on the other. Snip and Clip deposited him in front of Shampoo and backed off. Looking around wildly at the Amazons he stammered, "W-who are you? Y-you can't do this! I'm an officer of the People's Liber..."

"I know who you are fool!" Shampoo shouted into his face, "What I want to know is why you're here. What brings you into these mountains?"

He looked shocked and aroused all at the same time. Shampoo looked down at the bulge in his pants and he leered at her, "I'd say from the looks of it, I'm here to have some fun..."

Shampoo's backhanded slap snapped the man's neck around painfully. Pointing at his crotch she stared him in the eye and said, "Enjoy that while you can, this might be the last time it ever stands at attention."

The blood drained from the lieutenant's face and the bulge quickly disappeared. A look of determination came over his face as he spat blood from his mouth and said, "I'm not telling you anything. I have my orders."

"You don't seem to understand your situation," Shampoo said in a cold voice, "You're in the middle of nowhere and your men are all tied up. You are going to answer my questions or none of you will ever leave here."

"Threaten me all you want lady. Torture me if you think you can," he said defiantly, "but I'm not talking."

"Perm, please demonstrate for this _man _just what we think we can do."

The young warrior walked over to a small boulder about half a meter across. Placing her hand on its side, she concentrated her chi and muttered, "Bakusai Tenketsu." Suddenly the rock slid several meters away and disintegrated into dust.

"Now," Shampoo said to the wide eyed soldier, "can you even begin to imagine what would happen if I placed my hand right here..." Shampoo grabbed the lieutenant's crotch, "and uttered those same words?"

Sweat poured off the man as he began to succumb to Shampoo's battle aura. She hadn't fought that old lecher Happosai all those times without learning something from him.

Behind the lieutenant, Snip and Clip snickered. They knew as well as Shampoo that the Bakusai Tenketsu was useless against people, but the young man misinterpreted their laughter as anxiousness to see his manhood reduced to rubble.

"M-my orders are to find out who's been harassing refugees in this area. I was given the coordinates of a village near here, b-but something's wrong with the GPS. It says there's a road where there isn't one. Please, I have a wife. We haven't had our one child yet..."

Shampoo unceremoniously released him and he fell back into the strong waiting arms of Snip and Clip. Then she turned to Perm and switched from speaking Mandarin to the local Qinghai provincial dialect, "There, you see. If we'd killed them right away we'd have had a hundred more looking for them a week from now."

"What should we do?"

Shampoo reached into her satchel and pulled out a couple of bottles. Handing them to Perm she said, "Use the Hissatsu Shiatsuken to wipe out the memory of all the soldiers. Make sure they remember nothing of the last two days. Then put them in the truck and drive it to the base of the mountain."

"What about him?" Perm said indicating the lieutenant who was still on his knees shaking.

Shampoo took out another bottle, "I'll take care of him. We need to be _very _selective about what he remembers. Do you know how to program that GPS of theirs?"

"Of course, it's standard issue."

"Good, then set a new course that leads them straight through the Jusenkyo training grounds. Send word to the Guide that now would be a good time for him to go visit his family."

Perm grinned, "I can also set the GPS to send out a distress beacon in twenty-four hours. It'll lead the PLA straight to whatever's left of them and away from our village."

"Excellent!" Shampoo was truly impressed with the young warrior. "Let's get this wrapped up so we can all make it home for dinner."

Perm and her team slipped silently out of the clearing leaving the frightened officer alone with Shampoo. She grinned at him and said in Mandarin, "Don't worry. We're letting you all go." He didn't look convinced so she asked him seductively, "Tell me, have you ever had your hair washed by a pretty girl?"

o o o

Within an hour after the battle with Nabe, things at the Saotome house had settled down to something close to normal. Akari was in the bath with her sore, but very much alive, little piglet. The giant panda, who was pretending to be in more pain than he really was, was stretched out on the sofa with his head cradled in Nodoka's lap. Meanwhile Ranma sat on the floor in front of them, talking to her mother and occasionally reacting to the now increasingly commonplace kicks from Ranko-chan.

"So when did you guys show up?" Ranma asked.

"Right around noon," Nodoka said while massaging the panda's ears. "I know we promised to stay away, but your father's been anxious all morning and when I suggested we might come over just to make sure you ate a good lunch... well, we were worried about you. That's all."

"I know mom. I sure am glad you showed up when you did."

"Actually we were waiting out in the dojo for quite a while. You said that's where you wanted the challenge to take place, so we waited and waited and then we heard that awful noise. I didn't know what it could be, but your father went running as soon as he heard it."

"So how come you're a panda, pop?"

The panda grunted and held up a sign that read, "Water bucket," then he flipped it over, "on the kitchen floor."

"Oh yeah," Ranma said turning a little red, "The boys and I were making pancakes this morning and they spilled batter all over the floor. Guess I forgot to put away the mop and bucket. Sorry pop."

"That's okay," the sign read next.

Akari walked into the room with a not so lively looking Ryouga on her arm. "Hi everybody," he said with a wince of pain, "sorry to worry you all."

"Does it hurt much?" Ranma asked.

"It was worse as a pig. Guess I've got a couple of busted ribs. Nothing to worry about, I'll be back to normal in a week."

"Nothing to worry about?" Akari said indignantly, "You told me you'd go to the hospital and have them x-rayed."

"Now Ri-chan, I've had busted ribs before and was just fine after a couple of days."

"That was before you married me, buster. Ranma, do you think Akane would mind driving us to the hospital?"

"I'll drive you," Ranma said as she hopped to her feet. A smile spread across her face when she realized how much easier that was now that she had her balance back. "Akane's out front making sure the ambulance crew takes care of that big guy. She feels bad about breaking his knees. I guess he took pretty good care of her the last couple of days."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to drive dear?" Nodoka asked. "You took quite a tumble."

"Sure, I'm fine and Ranko-chan's finally finished doing the Dragon kata in my stomach. I guess we'll be back in a couple of hours."

"And just where do you think you're going?" Akane said as she walked into the room.

"Oh, I'm taking Ryouga and Akari to the hospital. His ribs are all busted up."

"It's not that bad, everybody," Ryouga said embarrassed. "It can wait... really!"

"No it can't!" shot back Akari.

"Well that actually works out pretty good," said Akane, "because Ranma has an appointment at the clinic in about an hour and that's right down the street from the hospital."

"I do?" said a bewildered Ranma.

"Yes silly," Akane said with a laugh. "Today's your regular weekly visit and after the fall you took, there's no way you're getting out of it. Give me a minute to go upstairs and change into something I haven't been wearing for three days and we'll all get going."

"I'll start up the van," Ranma said. "Mom, would you mind hanging around until the boys get home from school?"

"Of course we will dear, but Ranma," Nodoka's voice became motherly, "you're not going out wearing _that _are you?"

Ranma looked down at the sweat pants and shirt she was wearing. They had a few dirt and grass stains, but were otherwise presentable. "Yeah, I guess so."

Nodoka looked troubled, "Oh, you really should change into something nicer before you go to the doctor. You look like such a tomboy in that outfit."

Ryouga glanced at Akari and snickered, "Tomboy?"

"Why don't you put on that nice outfit we bought last week?"

"You mean the one with the big chrysanthemums on it?" Ranma didn't sound too excited about the prospect.

"Yes sweetheart, it looks lovely on you."

"But mom," the famous martial artist whined like a schoolgirl, "it's a kimono!"

Genma held up a sign that read, "Face it boy," then he flipped it over, "you're her daughter now!"

o o o

Debra Suzuki pulled her Lexus off Interstate 17 and headed into the low hills outside Phoenix. They had moved out into the new suburbs northwest of the city just two years before. Her husband Kozuma had suggested the move after opening a new dojo in the area and having it quickly become their most successful branch. It meant Debra now had an almost hour long drive to the office downtown, but the improvement in the kids' education and the general quality of their lives more than made up for it.

She drove past the mall and the display on her dashboard began beeping frantically. Cautiously she scanned the display as a long list of sales began scrolling by. Shoes at Nordstrom's, towels at JC Penney, bags at the Gap, the list rolled by with each one marked by its own little beep. Nothing interesting caught her eye so she continued on.

She looked at the fuel gauge, but decided she didn't need to stop for hydrogen today. However she did want to pick up something for dessert, so she pulled into the small shopping plaza where their favorite bakery was. A few minutes latter she was back on the road and nearing her own neighborhood.

Not for the first time Debra felt a strange sense of deja vu as her car moved silently down the street towards her house. The latest fad in residential architecture was a revival of the 1950's suburban style. And as she passed one long ranch home after another, she couldn't shake the feeling she was watching the opening of some old TV rerun. Humming the theme from 'Leave it to Beaver', she pulled into her driveway.

Her home was no exception. Aside from the satellite dish on the roof and her daughter's pink Segway scooter balancing itself on the porch, there wasn't much to make you think the Cleaver's didn't live here. She pulled the Lexus into the garage and for the hundredth time reached for an ignition key that didn't exist. Sighing at her own childishness she grabbed her purse and the bag of apple turnovers she had picked up at the bakery then headed into the house.

She took off her shoes in the foyer, a habit from Japan that they still followed even though there was no real genkan, and headed towards the kitchen. As she passed the living room a familiar soprano voice cried out in Japanese from the surround sound speakers attached to the wall screen. "_Hurry Ranma, before he gets away._"

She stuck her head into the room just in time to see a life sized male Ranma appear on the wall screen and shout, "_I won't let the old lecher get away this time!_" Sitting on the floor in front of screen was her son Ken and his best friend Mark from across the street. Both had game controllers in their laps and the coffee table was littered with candy wrappers and empty soda bottles.

"What in the world are you two watching?" she asked in English. "Is that a game?"

The word 'PAUSE' appeared in big green letters across the wall as Ken turned around. "Hi mom! Yeah, it's a new one dad brought home."

"But isn't that Mr. Saotome, my boss?" Debra said, pointing at the screen.

"Yeah, and his sister Ranko's in it too!" added Mark, taking off his headphones.

"Were you able to understand any of that, Mark?" Debra asked the young Latino boy. "Is the whole thing in Japanese?"

"No mom," Ken said as if he were correcting his little sister. "Each player can choose the language they want to hear. Dad just asked me to put the Japanese track on the speakers so he could listen in the kitchen."

"It's in Spanish on my headset Mrs. Suzuki;" Mark said with a grin, "but I think I'll switch back to English. Mexican ninjas are just too weird."

"So, is the game any good?" she asked. Debra had heard rumors within the company that such a game was in the works, but having it come out so soon was a complete surprise.

"It's pretty cool, but it'll be awesome once there are more people on-line to play with," Ken said.

"Mind if I watch you guys play for awhile? Believe it or not I've never seen this before."

"Really Mrs. Suzuki?" Mark asked, "I thought you and Ranko were friends."

"Well, we're sort of friends, but this game was probably designed by some firm in Hong Kong or India. Ranko probably hasn't seen it herself yet." This was probably true. Since the conference in New York, Ranma had kept such a low profile that even Jeff had been worried about her.

As the boys turned back to their game, Ken explained what was happening, "We're chasing this weird little guy named Happy who stole some kind of chart we need to remove damage he gave us in the last level."

"Moxibustion's what it was called," chimed in Mark.

"Yeah, that was it," Ken agreed, "Anyway we need to get this chart so we can get rid of that and we probably need to use the new technique we picked up on the last level."

"But we can't do that," Mark said, "until we catch the little guy."

Debra had no idea what they were talking about, but she watched for a while anyway. The game seemed exciting enough and the boys were obviously hooked on it. The graphics were top notch and the interactivity was remarkable. She was a little shocked when Mark made the female Ranma flash her breasts at the little old man to make him stop dead in his tracks, but the reaction on the character's face was hilarious and she found herself laughing anyway.

By the time Ken was setting up for the final technique, a spiraling union of hot and cold ki that reminded her eerily of the technique Ranma had used in New York, there were three more opponents besides the old man. When Ken's character shouted "Hiryu Shoten Ha" and a giant tornado formed to suck them all up she thought it was over, but the boys groaned and paused the game again.

"Where's the chart?" Ken asked his friend.

"It got sucked into the tornado," Mark said looking perplexed.

"How'd that happen? Why didn't you grab it?"

"You think I'm supposed to jump into the twister after it?"

"Well you can't just let it go! Now we don't have it and Ranma's still too weak..."

She left the boys to argue it out and moved into the kitchen where she found Kozuma and her daughter Naomi making dinner. Her husband was chopping vegetables while her five-year old was mixing a bowl of chocolate pudding with a big wooden spoon. She set the bag of turnovers, which obviously would have to wait until breakfast, on the counter and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Hi hon," he said while continuing to chop a carrot with frightening speed, "dinner's going to be a little late. Things were pretty hectic at the dojo today, but Naomi's been helping me." He smiled at their daughter, even though Debra knew the little girl had probably been more hindrance than help.

"I'm makin' puddin' mama!" Naomi said proudly.

"It looks yummy sweetheart. Don't rush dinner Kozuma, I'm not hungry yet anyway," Debra said this while snatching a few slices of carrot off the cutting board. "Where did that game Ken's playing come from?"

"It's choco puddin' mama!" Debra bent over and dipped her finger in the bowl her daughter was stirring and with a wink stuck it in her mouth

"Oh that?" Kozuma said, "It just showed up in the mail at the dojo today. No warning, no cover letter, nothing. It's just a demo with only a few levels and I had to use parental lock on a couple of those. It's a little racy at times."

"Yeah, I noticed." Debra started helping her daughter spoon the lumpy pudding into cups. "I'll call Jeff about it tomorrow, but I'm guessing even he's in the dark."

"The package it came in was really strange," Kosuma said as he attacked a head of broccoli. "The return address was in Hong Kong, but it was postmarked Las Vegas."

"I'm really out of the loop on all these new projects," Debra said with a little exasperation, "With Ranma away from the helm, it's hard to tell who's running the company anymore."

Debra helped Naomi carry a tray full of pudding filled cups to the refrigerator. "T'anks mama! Can I go play now?"

"Of course you can sweetie," Debra kissed the little girl on the forehead and watched her race from kitchen. "Pudding? Was that her idea or yours?"

"We had something else interesting show up at the dojo today," Kosuma said ignoring the sticky question. "A new student walked in who'd seen you on that ESPN special the other night. Couldn't wait to get started so we sparred and boy did I get a workout!"

"Someone with experience, huh?"

"I'll say! Fast, agile, knows three disciplines already, isn't afraid of aerial moves, very impressive. Has to be the best student I've ever seen, reminds me a lot of Saotome-sensei. Even kind of looks like her."

"Her? This new student's a woman?" Debra looked surprised. Her husband wasn't exactly a chauvinist, but he rarely heaped such praise on a female student.

"Yup! She just moved to Phoenix from up north. She's been studying martial arts since she was a kid. Moves like a ballet dancer and kicks like a mule"

"Does this wonder woman have a name?"

"Lana," he said as he dumped all the vegetables into a large nabe pot full of boiling broth. "Lana Santoni"

o o o

Ranma shuffled down the hallway from the examination room to the ultrasound suite. "This sucks," she muttered, "I no sooner get my balance back and start walking normally again when my mother makes me wear this stupid kimono!" Still grumbling she opened the door and slipped into the dimly lit room

The technician's eyes grew wide and a big grin spread across his face, "Mrs. Saotome, don't you look traditional today. Let me guess, after this you're going to an omiai to find a new husband that'll come with you on these visits?"

"Very funny," Ranma groused as she stepped behind a screen and changed into a robe, "This was my mother's idea and a _really _bad one at that."

"Ooh, we're a little prickly today. Where's the other Mrs. Saotome?"

"Not here with me, obviously!" In fact Akane had dropped Ranma off at the clinic before taking Ryouga and Akari to the hospital. She was supposed to come right back, but something must have delayed her because that was over an hour ago. "It's just me this time, so let's get this over with. Okay?"

"Whatever you say, we only need to look at a couple of key growth areas and check her position. Five minutes on the table and you'll be outta here."

The technician offered to help Ranma, but she hopped up on the exam table by herself. He shrugged and began smearing the gel on her abdomen. Then he sat down and started the exam.

Ranma had her arms crossed and seemed totally uninterested in the sonogram. The technician thought that unusual, but he had been dealing with pregnant women long enough to know when to leave one alone and just do his job. He scanned the baby's head, took a bone density reading off the right arm, checked the position of the umbilical cord and then moved to confirm the position of the hips.

"We're almost done Mrs. Saotome. I just need to check and see if your little girl..." The technician shook his head and stared at the screen. He readjusted the position of the probe and then amplified the settings.

Ranma noticed the sudden silence and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The technician recovered and said jovially, "No, nothing's wrong. Just having a little trouble with the equipment. Um... I guess we're done. You can get dressed now." He quickly saved the session and cleared the screen before Ranma could get up. He handed her a towel, pulled her memory card from the computer and headed for the door.

"You're in a big hurry," Ranma said, "I know I'm in a bad mood, but I'm not going to bite you."

The technician grinned, "That might actually be fun. No, I'm going to take these scans right down to the doctor so you can get out of here." Then he slipped quickly out the door.

"So... can I go home now?" Ranma asked the empty room.

The technician hurried down the hallway to the doctor's office. He barged in without knocking, something that would normally earn him a severe scolding.

"Hideaki, what the hell?" the startled doctor said from behind his big desk.

"I'm sorry doctor, but I thought you should look at this right away." he said as he handed over the memory card.

"What's this?" the doctor asked as he stuck the card into the port on the front of his computer.

"It's Mrs. Saotome," the technician said nervously. "Everything seems fine. The baby's a little out of position, but nothing to be worried about yet. It's the last image I wanted you to look at."

The doctor double-clicked the last saved file and the screen filled with the fuzzy black and white image. "What the... Are you sure this is Mrs. Saotome? You didn't get the files mixed up did you?"

"No sir, that's what I just saw live."

"Did Mrs Saotome see this?"

"No sir, she was distracted and, before you ask, I didn't point it out to her either."

"Good," the doctor said rubbing his chin. He examined the image on the screen carefully. "Is there a chance something's wrong with the machine?"

"I'll run a diagnostic on it later, but that's way too clear to be an echo or an artifact. What are you going to tell her?"

"Nothing, for the time being," the doctor said standing up. "I'll get her back in here for an amniocentesis next week. Those two have had their hearts set on a healthy little girl from the beginning. I want rock solid DNA evidence before I tell them they're actually having a little boy."

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) klick - military jargon for a kilometer

(2) GPS - Global Positioning System is a group of satellites that can be used to determine your location anywhere on Earth.

(3) People's Liberation Army (PLA) - the national army of Communist China.

(4) Segway - a self-balancing transportation device invented in 2001.

(5) omiai - an arranged meeting between prospective couples interested in marriage.

(6) amniocentesis - a procedure where a sample of fluid is extracted from the womb for analysis, this fluid usually contains enough cells from the baby for a DNA test to be performed.


	12. Chapter 11 – Desert Walk

_I'm sorry for the long delay. Between work, the holiday and being sick I just haven't been able to keep up. But here it is at last!_

**  
**

**Chapter 11 - Desert Walk**

Ranma sat nervously in the doctor's office with Akane. The call from the clinic had come the morning after her last visit, but the soonest they could work in an appointment was the following Monday. That had given them the whole weekend with nothing to do but wait and worry.

"Tell me again," Akane said, "what happened at the sonogram?"

"Nothing really," Ranma said biting her lip. "I really wasn't paying attention. The usual technician was there and you know how he likes to joke around, well he was really quiet and then he left the room pretty fast. It just seemed like he was trying to hide something."

"Are you sure he wasn't just afraid to talk to you? You weren't exactly the flower of femininity that afternoon."

"Maybe..." Ranma didn't look convinced. "I don't know. If nothing was wrong, why did they call us in for more tests?"

The door opened and the doctor walked in. He greeted them and then sat down behind his desk. "Thank you both for coming in on such short notice. We picked up an anomaly in your sonogram last week and we want to run some lab tests just to make sure everything's okay."

"Anomaly?" Ranma asked frantically, "What kind of anomaly? What's wrong with Ranko-chan? Why aren't you telling me what's wrong?"

The doctor waved his hands as if warding off an attack, "Nothing's wrong that we're aware of. This could all just be a misinterpretation of the image. That's why we want to do a different sort of test, one that isn't subject to mixed interpretations."

Akane grabbed Ranma's hand before she could launch into another barrage of questions. "What sort of test, doctor?" Akane asked.

"We want to extract some of the fluid from around the baby which will contain cast off cells we can analyze. Specifically we want to run a chromosome test and a DNA profile."

"What will that tell us?" Ranma asked more calmly.

"Oh many things," the doctor said leaning back in his chair and tapping his fingertips together. "We can look at genetic markers for various conditions that could complicate the birth, we'll be able to determine the baby's blood type, confirm the sex once and for all... that sort of thing."

"What do I have to do?"

"Nothing at all," the doctor said with a grin, "You'll be taking a nap the whole time. The amniocentesis consists of inserting a long needle through the abdominal wall. We have to be very careful not to hit the baby, the cord or the placenta so it's best done while you are under sedation."

"So she'll be out cold, like an operation?" Akane asked, "Won't those kind of drugs hurt Ranko-chan?"

"No, that's anesthesia where you're completely unconscious. This used to be called Twilight Sleep and you actually remain conscious the whole time, though you'll be _very _relaxed. We also give you something to keep you from remembering what happens. It's quite safe for both you and the baby."

"Okay, let's do it," Ranma said, "I don't care what you do to me as long as I know if my little girl's healthy or not."

o o o

Ranma came to slowly. The last thing she remembered was a man dressed in a surgical gown and a facemask assuring her this wasn't really surgery. Then he waved his hand and said, "Good night!" Why did everyone turn into a comedian whenever she was nervous?

The first odd thing she noticed was the smell. Instead of the antiseptic tang of the operating room, this smelled more like a barn. The odor of leather was overpowering and there was something else, something dry and dusty. The light working its way through her eyelids was also different, more yellow and less harsh than before.

Carefully she blinked her eyes open, slowly letting them adjust to the brightness. She appeared to be in a round room with sloping walls. The yellow light seemed to emanate from walls themselves and they converged high above her in a circle of blue sky and clouds.

She looked around for Akane or the doctors, but she was alone. She was also lying on the floor, which although not unusual for Japan was certainly unexpected at the clinic. She couldn't see anything more without sitting up, so she put out her hands to brace herself and found her fingers sinking deep into thick fur.

She struggled to regain her equilibrium and finally managed to sit up. Then she took a good long look at her surroundings. The room was indeed round and a good deal smaller than she had first thought. There was no furniture at all and the floor was completely covered with the pelts of many different animals, most of which she didn't recognize. On closer inspection the walls also seemed to be made from animal skins that had been sewn together.

After carefully standing up, she found she was wearing a strange dress. Like everything else it was made of soft brown leather with leather fringe dangling from the sleeves and across the front as well. On her feet were soft leather shoes with colorful beadwork on the instep. Her hair had been put into two long braids held at the ends by beaded leather wraps.

Nothing at all about the outfit looked Japanese, but an image did pop into her head. An old cartoon movie she had watched with the boys once. It had a strange name that was surprisingly easy to say in Japanese... Pocahontas.

Noticing that the skins of one wall were darker than the others, she shuffled carefully across the furry uneven floor for a closer look and discovered this to be an opening. Pushing the piece of hide out of the way, bright sunlight poured in followed by a blast of hot dusty air. Being careful not to trip over the threshold, Ranma stepped out and gazed in wonder at the landscape.

The air was so clear and the sky so blue that it almost hurt her eyes to look up. All around were low rolling hills of dark red soil dotted with small sage colored bushes. In the distance huge mountains with flat tops seemed to rise up from the ground as if pushed out by giant fingers. She remembered that in America these were called buttes and one especially large one dominated the southern horizon.

Ranma breathed in the hot dry desert air and exhaled a contented sigh. She hadn't felt this alive since...

Suddenly her battle senses lit up with an unforgettable aura, one she thought would never present itself to her again. It had been eleven long years, but the memory of their last meeting was as fresh and alive as if it were yesterday.

"Hello warrior." said a familiar voice, "Welcome to _my _hunting grounds."

"Coyote-sama!" wearing a huge grin, Ranma spun around to face the scruffy animal. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Coyote grinned back at her with long yellow fangs. "Nor I you, warrior! Typically once a lifetime is enough for most people, but then again you were never exactly typical."

Ranma looked around at the small collection of teepees and asked, "Where are we and why am I dressed like someone in an old cowboy movie?"

Coyote frowned, "We don't have much time warrior, so I had to bring you here. This is the southwest of what is now called the United States of America, but it was once known as the Place of Little Springs. As for the outfit... well, I thought you'd make a cute Piman tribal princess."

"So is this another spirit walk?" Ranma asked with a mixture of excitement and dread.

"No, this is not a spirit walk. A spirit walk is something the warrior chooses to take. Last time you summoned me by accident, but I'm pleased to see you followed my counsel anyway and gave up your futile quest to rid yourself of the curse."

The coyote shook its head sadly, "However, I've summoned you here now because you failed to heed my other warning. Thanks to you I lost a bet with Raven and now chaos once again threatens to tear your world apart."

Ranko-chan chose that moment to give Ranma a particularly strong kick. Placing a hand over the spot she looked imploringly at Coyote and said, "You don't mean because I'm pregnant?"

"Of course it's because you're pregnant! Just how many men do you think have given birth since the dawn of time? Do you have any idea how many natural laws you're breaking?"

Ranma looked chastened, but defiant, "What about the Musk?"

"The Musk?" thundered the ancient spirit, "Don't even mention those idiots. Half the Chinese Zodiac has been trying to straighten them out for centuries. But compared to you the Musk are just a bunch of naughty children turning animals into people."

Sensing a growing threat Ranma stepped back and dropped into a fighting stance, "I'm not letting you take my baby!"

"You really do look like one of the Pimas. Their women were pretty fierce when it came to protecting their young too." Coyote chuckled, "Relax warrior, I have no intention of harming either one of you or interfering with your pregnancy. On the contrary, in spite of the dangers I'm happy to see this little one brought into the world at last."

Ranma relaxed her stance, but remained ready nonetheless, "Then why am I here?"

"I brought you here to let you know just what a heavy burden you've chosen to bear. The being you carry has great potential. Whether it is for good or not is entirely up to you. You're not just a father or a mother to this one, but a teacher and a guild as well."

Ranma's arms dropped to her sides, as she stood stunned by the coyote's words. "M-my little Ranko, she's that important?"

"Yes warrior, just as you were once. I only wish someone had taken the time to talk to that numbskull father of yours. Promise me you won't drop this one into a pit full of hungry cats."

"It's a deal," Ranma grinned, "and I'll make sure she never goes anywhere near Jusenkyo!"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," the coyote said with a snort. "Our time's almost up warrior and there's still one more thing I need to show you. Someone has been very insistent about talking to you and since it'll be quite some time before she has a voice again I decided to break a few more rules."

Coyote turned his head towards one of the teepees and there, peeking out from behind it, was the little red haired spirit child. She looked exactly as Ranma remembered with her flaming red hair in a long single braid draped over her shoulder. The only differences being she was dressed in buckskins just like Ranma.

"Don't be shy child!" Coyote shouted. "You only get one chance at this. Go!"

The little spirit bolted into the open and ran headlong straight for Ranma. Instinctively the man turned mother held out her arms and the child leapt into them. She hugged Ranma's neck with a surprisingly strong grip and Ranma returned it just as enthusiastically. Suddenly there was a strong kick from the baby in her stomach and the little spirit let go.

"I'm sorry mama," she said timidly, "I gots excited."

Ranma looked from her swollen belly to the little spirit child. "You really are Ranko-chan?"

The little spirit nodded her head excitedly, "Uh huh!"

"Do you like that name, Ranko?"

Ranko nodded her head again, "Uh huh!"

"Don't waste time child," Coyote said urgently, "Say what you wanted to say before they drag her away from you."

The little girl looked surprised, but she turned to Ranma and with a blush said, "Thank you fer being my mama! I'll be good, I promise."

With tears in her eyes Ranma said, "You're welcome sweetheart. Do you know how much Akane and I love you already?"

Ranko nodded her head again, "Uh huh! We all love you too!"

Ranma blinked and looking perplexed asked, "We?"

"Enough child!" Coyote growled, "Remember what I told you."

Ranko-chan looked like she was about to cry so Ranma reached out and hugged her again. "It's okay Ranko-chan. I don't need to know anything except that you're happy. I'll be seeing you again real soon, okay?"

Ranko rubbed at the corner of her eye, but once again nodded enthusiastically, "Okay mama!" Then she turned and skipped back to stand beside the coyote.

"It's time warrior. They've already finished the procedure and are about to wake you up. Try not to forget everything I told you."

"How could I forget anything _you _tell me, Coyote-sama?" Ranma laughed. Then she began to feel something pulling at her. She looked at the entrance of the teepee where she had awakened and saw a swirling gray fog inside.

"You may find it harder than you think," Coyote said turning away. As he and the spirit child began walking towards the setting sun he laughed and shouted out, "Until we meet again warrior!"

Maybe it was a trick of the fading light, but Ranma could have sworn Ranko-chan's hair had suddenly turned darker. She also now looked taller compared to Coyote. Just as Ranma's foot bumped up against the threshold of the teepee, Ranko-chan turned to look back at her.

Ranma gasped, lost her balance and tumbled head first into swirling mists. She couldn't believe what she had seen, but every time she replayed it in her head it was so very clear. A grinning little boy with black hair had turned, given her the thumbs up sign and winked mischievously at her with his dark brown eyes.

o o o

"Hello sleepyhead," Akane said bending over the reclining chair where Ranma lay blinking her eyes. "This is harder than getting you up in the morning."

"What?" Ranma said groggily. "Where am I?"

"The Land of OZ," Akane said with a giggle. "Where do you think you are silly? You're in the recovery room at the clinic. They finished up about ten minutes ago and everything went fine."

"No, I... I was somewhere else," Ranma had a worried almost desperate look on her face. "But... but I can't remember where. Akane, why can't I remember?"

"Ranma, you haven't _been _anywhere. What's wrong with you?"

"I was supposed to remember something important, but I can't remember anything!" Ranma tried to sit up, but dizziness quickly overcame her and she dropped back into the recliner. "Akane I _have _to remember! Why can't I remember?"

Akane was worried now, this wasn't what she was told to expect when Ranma woke up. "Someone help me please! Nurse? Something's gone wrong!"

A nurse appeared from behind a curtain and asked, "What's the matter?"

"She's upset about something," Akane said urgently, "but I don't know what."

Ranma tried to sit up again, this time with better results. The nurse grabbed her shoulders and gently tried to push her back into the chair, "Please Mrs. Saotome, just relax. You need to wait for the effects to wear off."

Focusing on the nurse Ranma asked desperately, "Why can't I remember anything?"

"You're not supposed to remember anything," the nurse said in a calm voice while trying vainly to restrain the world's greatest martial artist. "You were given a drug that inhibits your memory, but nothing happened that you need to remember."

"But I have to remember!" Ranma shouted as she broke free and tried to leap out of the recliner. Akane caught her and flipped her gently back into the chair.

"Does this happen often?" Akane asked as she struggled to hold Ranma down.

"Never," said the now concerned nurse, "I'll go get a doctor. Just don't let her get up or she's likely to fall over and hurt the baby."

"Akane," Ranma was crying now, "why can't I remember? Why?"

Twenty minutes later Akane and a much calmer Ranma sat in the doctor's office as he explained again how the drugs worked. "The one we gave you causes drowsiness and _temporary _amnesia, but I assure you the dosage is far too small to cause permanent memory loss."

"Then why can't I remember?" Ranma said defiantly.

"What do you think you've forgotten Mrs. Saotome?" the doctor asked.

"How should I know?" Ranma shouted back. "I've forgotten it!"

The doctor waved his hand in defense. "Please be calm Mrs. Saotome. Tell me, what's the last thing you do remember?"

"Some guy in green pajamas saying, 'Good night'. Then I woke up with Akane telling me I was in OZ, but something happened in between and I _need _to remember what it was."

"Then it must have been a thought," the doctor said evenly, "or a dream. If that's the case then it's likely you'll have the same dream again soon. If it's really important, I'm certain of it. Dreams are made up from old memories and they rarely occur just once."

"I hope you're right doctor," Ranma said unhappily, "I have a terrible feeling something bad will happen if I don't remember whatever it is."

The door opened and a nurse walked in. She handed the doctor a folder and then left. The doctor opened the folder and smiled.

"Is that the DNA test, doctor?" Akane asked.

"Oh no," he said. "That won't be ready until sometime tomorrow. This is just the result of the chromosome analysis. Let's see... negative on Downs, Tay Sachs, yes, yes, that all looks good. Blood type A, no big surprise there. And... two X chromosomes." The doctor's shoulders slumped and his smile faded. "It looks like you're having a girl after all."

"What do you mean 'after all'?" Ranma asked.

Akane looked concerned, "Doctor, what exactly was wrong with that sonogram last week."

"Well it can't really hurt to tell you now, but it made it look like your baby was actually a boy. I guess it was just a problem with the machine, but it seemed quite clear to everyone who looked at it. I wanted more proof before I said anything to you of course and now I'm glad I did."

Akane and Ranma exchanged worried glances and then Ranma asked, "Um, how warm is the water down there?"

"You mean inside the womb?" the doctor asked, looking puzzled. "It's body temperature of course."

"Could anything cause that to change," Akane asked, "say... rather drastically?"

The doctor blinked, "No, nothing short of hypothermia or a high fever. What exactly are you concerned about?"

"Oh nothing," Akane said trying to look innocent.

"Just wondering," Ranma added looking just as guilty.

"Well the two of you needn't worry. This was our mistake and I apologize for the inconvenience, but nothing here goes to waste. Once we get the DNA profile we'll have all the information we need to make sure the birth of your baby is a successful and happy occasion."

"Thank you doctor," Ranma said, "I hope you're right."

"Oh, by the way," the doctor said with a big smile, "You should begin taking your birthing classes soon. Will your husband finally be showing up?"

o o o

On a cold afternoon in early February, Akane walked into the kitchen to find Ranma standing with her hands on her hips and a strange look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"It feels like she's just going to fall out," Ranma said with all seriousness.

"In your dreams!" Akane laughed. "You better get ready. You're not due for another three weeks, so she's going to drop even lower than that."

"You're kidding," Ranma looked shocked, "It's already like holding a bowling ball between my legs. This can't be right."

"Well in a little while you can complain to an expert. Kasumi just called, she and Toufuu are on their way from the station."

Ranma glanced at the pot she was tending on the stove, "Why am I always nervous making dinner for Kasumi?"

"I'm the same way," Akane said shaking her head, "It feels like inviting all the Iron Chef's over and serving them instant ramen, but you shouldn't worry. She always compliments _your _cooking."

"Aw, you're a good cook too Akane," Ranma waddled over and gave her a hug. "You haven't poisoned anyone in ages!"

"Gee, thanks for the compliment," Akane gave her husband a gentle head butt, something that had been nearly impossible before Ranma's recent growth spurt. She was still shorter than Akane, but not by more than a couple of centimeters. "People are going to have to stop calling you petite."

"Yeah," Ranma said rubbing her forehead and walking back to the stove, "it's almost to the point where I can reach the same..."

"Reach what?" Akane asked after the redhead failed to finish the sentence.

"I just had a really strange thought," Ranma said looking a little unsettled. "In a couple of months I'm going to be a guy again."

"Oh yeah..." Akane said pensively, "I hadn't thought about that either. You know in the whole time I've known you this is the longest you've stayed just one gender. It's a little odd thinking about you being a man again after the baby comes."

"The scary thing is," Ranma said in a shaky voice, "it never even crossed my mind. Akane, you _do _want me to be a guy again, don't you?"

Akane saw panic growing in Ranma's eyes. It stood to reason she had become accustomed to living as a woman, didn't have much choice really. Through the whole experience her male half had never been far from the surface, but ever since the battle with Nabe she had kept it buried deeper than usual. They had made adjustments as a couple as well and their relationship was healthy and happy right now. Maybe staying a woman was looking good to Ranma?

Akane considered it seriously for a moment, she owed her spouse that much. Then she walked over, took Ranma's face in her hands and gave her a long deep passionate kiss. When she was satisfied she had Ranma's complete attention, Akane stopped and whispered into the redhead's ear, "You bet your sweet ass. I _want _my man back."

Ranma's eyes were as wide as saucers and she looked dazed. Then a smile crept onto her lips. "Yeah... Oh yeah! You just wait Tendo! I'm coming out of that tub ready for action. Oh yeah!"

Akane grinned, "Just try not to scare the children, okay?"

"I make no promises," Ranma chuckled. "I better finish cooking dinner."

"Are you going to make some tea? I'm sure everyone will want to sit and talk once Kasumi gets here."

"Sure, no problem, I'll have everything ready by the time they show up. By the way what's everyone else doing?"

"Our fathers are at the shogi board of course. Your mother is _still _cleaning the guest bedroom and Hinako is keeping the twins occupied."

"The house hasn't been this full in years," Ranma said as she carried the kettle to the sink.

"Yes, it's almost like old times," Akane sighed and pushed through the door into the living room.

"Old times, huh?" Ranma giggled and then started searching through a few drawers. When she found what she was looking for she chuckled, "I'll give her some old times."

About ten minutes later there was a knock at the front door followed by Kasumi's voice shouting, "I'm home!" Akane rushed to the genkan and threw her arms around her older sister. They were soon joined by Toufuu who came through the door dragging several large suitcases.

"You look great big-sister!" Akane gushed, "Or should I say _Doctor _big-sister?"

"Big-sister is just fine," Kasumi said with a smile. "I still can't get use to people calling me Doctor all the time."

"Don't believe a word of it," Toufuu said after dropping the suitcases. "She even makes me call her that in bed. How are you Akane?"

"I'm fine. You can just leave the bags there. Mother Saotome is still cleaning your room. It ought to be as sterile as an operating room by now."

"Oh, the Saotome's are here?" Kasumi asked.

"Yup, so are Daddy and Hinako. Come on in, everyone's just dying to see you both."

They headed down the hallway, but before they got to the living room Soun came out to meet them. He wrapped Kasumi in his arms and as usual his eyes were filled with tears, "Oh my little girl's a real doctor now. I'm so proud of you Kasumi!"

"Daddy!" Kasumi said as she squirmed out of his bear hug just enough to allow breathing. "It's not like I graduated or anything. I'm just changing jobs."

"Don't let her fool you dad," Toufuu said. "She's leaving that hospital with a stack of recommendation letters that could choke a horse. I feel guilty stealing her away from the world of modern medicine."

"Toufuu! Don't talk like that," Kasumi said sternly, "You know full well I want our little clinic as much as you do. Besides, it would be ages before I became director of a big city hospital, but out in the country I'll be in charge from day one. Right Toufuu?"

Toufuu looked a little embarrassed and adjusted his glasses, "Right honey. You're the boss."

Akane looked at her older sister in wonder. Kasumi had always been the one people thought of as a shy wallflower. She played the role of surrogate mother so well that everyone failed to notice how efficiently she ran the household while complete chaos reigned all around her.

Once her sisters were off to college, Kasumi had focused all that energy on her own education and eight years later an extraordinary professional woman had emerged. Akane had no doubt the small clinic Toufuu envisioned for them was rapidly evolving into a major medical facility. Kasumi probably _would _be running a hospital in a year or two... her own.

Once Soun settled down, they all moved into the living room. Genma greeted the newcomers and Nodoka joined them shortly thereafter. When they were all settled around the couch, Kasumi asked, "Where's Ranma?"

"She's in the kitchen," Akane said standing up and walking in that direction. "Ranma! Toufuu and Kasumi are here!"

"I'll be right out!" came the muffled reply. A few seconds later Ranma pushed through the kitchen door and walked into the living room carrying a tray full of teacups. She was dressed in a full-length clean white apron with ruffled sleeves and had redone her ponytail so that it draped over her right shoulder and was bound with a large white bow. With her eyes squinted almost shut and her mouth held in a tiny smile she tilted her head and said, "Would anyone like a nice cup of tea?"

There was dead silence in the room for several seconds and then everyone except Kasumi burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" she asked with a deadpan expression that just made everyone laugh all the harder.

o o o

An hour later everyone was gathered around the table finishing off the big meal Ranma had prepared. The family rather naturally split up with the men at one end discussing martial arts and the women at the other discussing children. Ranma found herself in the middle, strangely torn between the two conversations.

The twins had latched onto their aunt Kasumi and now snuggled so close by her side that it made eating difficult for the young doctor. Even so, she managed to clean her plate twice. She turned to Ranma and said, "That was a wonderful meal Ranma-kun. What did you call the entree again?"

"Chili cheese-dogs," the redhead said with a bit of a grin, "It's something I had while I was in New York the last time and I've been trying to copy it ever since. I still can't find the right kind of cheese though, but I'll get it someday."

"I've had hot-dogs before, but this was more like a meal. Be sure to send me the recipe when you perfect it."

"I like the red part with rice," Hideto chimed in.

"You'll eat anything with rice," Masato teased, "You'd eat beetles on rice."

"No I wouldn't!"

"Uh huh! Beetles and centipedes and..."

"Boys," Kasumi interrupted, "would you like to see a baby that lives underwater?"

"Underwater?" they said in unison. "Yeah!"

Kasumi reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her medical PDA. She tapped the screen a few times and then held it out on the table where the boys could see it. "This is Kenta. He's five months old and has been breathing liquid ever since he was born."

"Wow!" Masato exclaimed. "It looks like he's..."

"...inside a spaceship!" finished Hideto.

"That's his incubator. It's where he's living until he gets strong enough to breath air."

"I'll bet it turns into a big robot." Hideto said.

"A giant ninja robot!" added Masato excitedly.

"Is that the little boy you were telling us about?" Ranma asked with a frown.

"Kasumi smiled and turned the screen so Ranma could see, "Yes, I had to go down to the NICU and see him one more time before I left the hospital."

Ranma looked closely at the screen and gasped, "Kasumi, his eyes are open!"

Smiling broadly Kasumi said, "Yes! He's awake and very responsive now. His lung capacity is rapidly getting to the point where they'll wean him from the LVI soon."

"So he's going to be all right?" asked Akane.

"I hope so," Kasumi said handing the PDA to the boys, who were clamoring for another look. "But I'm worried he won't ever be strong enough to have a normal childhood. He's dreadfully underweight because we could only feed him intravenously all these months."

A very huffy looking Hinako-chan said, "Teach him happou goen satsu. Being weak is no excuse for being lazy."

Kasumi looked mystified. She started to ask the little girl what she was talking about and then her eyes grew wide. She looked excitedly at Ranma, "Could that really work? Can you teach him the same technique Hinako-chan uses?"

Ranma thought about it for a moment, "Well you probably couldn't teach it to a baby and there are a few things Happosai never explained about the technique, but by the time he's three or four I might be able to figure them out."

"That would be wonderful!" Kasumi exclaimed. "I'll have to contact his..."

Just then the doorbell rang and everyone became quiet. They looked enquiringly around the table at each other. "Were you expecting anyone else, Akane?" Soun asked.

"Not at this hour," Akane said pushing away from the table. "The dojo's closed and the whole family's here."

Toufuu held up his hand, "I'll answer it, Akane." He hopped to his feet and trotted out of the room.

There was a lot of mumbled speculation until Toufuu returned. "It was a traveling salesman," he responded to everyone's question.

"A salesman?" Akane said with a puzzled look. "I can't remember the last time someone came to the door selling something. What were they selling?"

"Anything you want little-sister," Nabiki said stepping out from behind Toufuu. She slapped the doctor on the back and said, "Thanks doc, I owe you one."

"Nabiki!" cried Akane and Kasumi at once.

Seconds later Nabiki disappeared into her sisters' arms. Soun was also on his feet with tears streaming down his cheeks. "All three of my little girls have come home!" Hinako stood up and hugged him around the waist. Even she looked a little choked up.

The twins on the other hand looked completely lost and Ranma realized they might not remember Nabiki. "That's your aunt Nabiki, boys," she said with a grin. "The one who sends you the really weird Christmas gifts every year."

Everyone began to gravitate toward the living room as Ranma pulled herself up off the floor. She was just beginning to stack the dishes when she heard a chuckle. Looking up she saw Nabiki standing in the doorway with her arms stretched out. Using her thumbs and index fingers to form a rectangle she held it up towards Ranma.

"Oh what a picture this is! Back in high school Tate would have paid me a million yen for it, easy. He still loves his pigtailed princess you know, even if she has been defiled by my evil brother in-law." Nabiki grinned and walked over to take Ranma's arm. "Stop acting like Yamato Nadeshiko and get in here with the rest of us. I flew halfway around the world just to see you."

o o o

With everyone seated in the living room except Nabiki, whose excuse was she preferred to stand after thirteen hours on the plane and then another three in a taxi. Only she seemed to favor pacing back and forth even more. Her nervous behavior was not lost on her sisters or Ranma.

"Nabiki," Akane asked, "did you come over alone or is Kuno with you?"

"Oh, he came too," Nabiki said with an odd smile. "But he has to put in at least one appearance at his folks' place while we're here and he decided to get it over with right away. He'll be around tomorrow."

"Is he still working in commercial real estate?" Ranma asked. Kuno had been instrumental in acquiring many of the dojo locations in South America and Europe over the last few years.

"A little, but recently we've been into something else."

Akane looked at Kasumi and silently mouthed the word, "We?"

Nabiki stopped at the coffee table and picked up the remote control for the wall screen, "Mind if I show you all something?" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small memory card, which she slipped into the remote. She walked over next to the big screen and hit a few buttons. The wall lit up with a scene of the rising sun.

"_Ancient Japan. Land of shoguns and mystery..._"

"Opps," Nabiki said hitting the mute button, "I forgot this was all in English."

As various images out of Japan's history flashed across the screen, Nabiki continued, "As we all know from the success of Anything Goes in the US, Japanese culture is really big over there right now. We've been capitalizing on that with as many web projects as we can, but the Internet is still a fickle thing. What's big today may be cyber history in six months."

A subtle shift in the quality of the images on the screen led Ranma to believe they were now seeing either live action or computer generated scenes as Nabiki rolled on, "With that in mind I've been looking for a more concrete way to cash in on our popularity. Something real and tangible that will still be there long after the Digital Dojo is just a fond memory. The answer I came up with was not only concrete, but steel, marble, glass and about five hundred other building materials."

The images were now quite obviously a high quality computer simulation of some sort of resort. There were large onsen style hot springs, big traditional rooms set up with low tables and kimono clad servers pouring sake for men in business suits, geisha girls, kabuki theaters, row after row of pachinko and slot machines, but it all looked strangely oversized.

Suddenly the image of a single cherry blossom filled the screen and Nabiki stepped back and pressed the mute button again. Dramatic music blared out of the speakers as the camera pulled back to expose more and more cherry blossoms. Soon there were more blossoms than on even the largest cherry trees and the camera still pulled back to reveal more.

The pace of the music quickened as finally the shape of a huge cherry tree emerged. Then behind it what at first appeared to be a temple came into view, but as the camera continued to pull away it was shown to be an immense hotel with traditional Japanese architectural features. It had to be at least twenty stories tall and two other huge buildings radiating to either side.

As the music reached a crescendo, giant English letters that looked somewhat kanji-like swept across the screen and the voiceover proclaimed, "_Samurai! Las Vegas will never be the same!_"

Nabiki paused the playback and turned to face her astonished family, "What do you think? Eight thousand rooms, twenty thousand square meters of gaming space, a real hot spring on every floor, sixteen restaurants, and an amusement park built inside a replica of Mt. Fuji. Samurai will be the first all Japanese themed hotel and casino in Las Vegas and we own it."

"You and Kuno are building a casino in America?" Akane asked in amazement.

"Well, us and about twelve other investors. You don't just pull three billion dollars out of one pocket. We have both private investors and corporations in the consortium, but the deal is _we _get to run it."

Kasumi shook her head, "Nabiki-chan, I can't believe you're doing something this big. How did you even come up with an idea like this and how did you talk Kuno-kun into paying for it?"

"I've never been one to settle for the small things in life, you know that. Tate and I came up with this together, we're... well... partners after all."

Ranma leaned forward. She smelled blood and went in for the kill, "What aren't you telling us about this, Nabiki? Since when has Kuno been anything to you but a sugar-daddy?"

Nabiki surprised everyone by looking hurt. She hung her head for a moment and wrung her hands together. Finally she sighed and said, "I didn't quite know how to tell you all this, but..." She held up her left hand and slowly turned a tiny gold band on her ring finger around to reveal a diamond the size of a cherry pit. "He asked me last summer and I said yes."

She was met with dead silence as eight stunned faces stared back at her in utter disbelief.

"No really," she whined, "it's not a joke... I'm engaged to Tatewaki Kuno, I swear!"

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) amniocentesis - the procedure to extract amniotic fluid from the womb using a long needle.

(2) Pimas Indians - a native America tribe that inhabited the area that is now Phoenix, Arizona.

(3) Shogi - Japanese board game similar to chess, it is played on a 9 by 9 square board and each player has 20 pieces.

(4) genkan - the entryway into a Japanese house where you remove your street shoes, it is similar to a foyer but is usually set below the level of the house.

(5) Yamato Nadeshiko - literally translated the name means a flower from the olden days and is used to refer to the ideal traditional Japanese female housewife.

(6) onsen - spa like resort built around a natural hot spring. The word refers to the hot spring itself, but has come to represent the full experience.

(7) geisha - female traditional Japanese artist-entertainer, they wear very ornate kimono and elaborate hairstyles.

(8) kabuki - a traditional style of Japanese theater.

(9) pachinko - a gambling device similar to a pin ball machine, but upright and using hundreds of tiny steel balls.

(10) samurai - the name given to elite solders during Japan's feudal period.


	13. Chapter 12 – Happy Birthday

**Chapter 12 - Happy Birthday**

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Ranma said stretching awkwardly across the kitchen sink to turn off the water. "You and Kuno wanted to get married and live in Las Vegas, so you decided to build a casino?"

"Right," Nabiki said from her perch on the counter top across the room, "what's so hard to understand?"

"Well, most newlyweds rent an apartment for a few years or move in with their folks." Ranma grinned as she put away the last of the breakfast dishes.

"Ranma-baby, we are _not _most newlyweds. We already have an apartment on top of a casino, so when I told Take I wanted to build a little place of our own... one thing led to another and suddenly we're the head of an international syndicate. Besides, would you want to go live with his parents?"

"Not with Kodachi still living at home! That girl belongs in an asylum."

"Just what do you think the Kuno estate is?" Nabiki chuckled.

"If it's that bad, why are you planning to get married there?"

"You have to admit it's a damn nice asylum. It's also the only place we could book in April. Weddings seem to be on the upswing in Japan."

"You can't beat the tax credits," Ranma said. "These days the Japanese government will do just about anything to boost the birthrate."

"Well little brother, you're certainly doing your part. They should make you the poster boy for Mother's Day."

"Nabiki, this is Japan. We don't have Mother's Day..."

The sound of thundering little feet suddenly filled the house and moments latter the twins burst into the kitchen.

"Mommy! Mommy come quick!" shouted Masato.

"Mom needs you in the dojo..." Hideto yelled.

"...right away!" finished Masato.

"Oh no! Now what's happened?" Ranma cried out as she pulled off her apron and tossed it on the counter beside Nabiki.

Ranma hurried out the door and Nabiki slid off the counter. She knelt down in front of the two boys and said in English, "_Nice work guys!_" With a wink, she held up both hands for a simultaneous high five from the twins.

Ranma rushed across the courtyard between the house and the dojo letting her battle aura build in controlled steps. She had come to realize that Ranko-chan reacted strongly to emotional outbursts. So ever since the battle with Nabe she'd been careful not to let her aura get out of control.

Just the thought of Nabe made her pause. No strangely mangled corpses had turned up in the news after the battle and it was unclear just what had happened to the young gangster and his henchmen. Not that Ranma cared if the man was alive or dead, but if he had survived the twenty-kilometer flight to the bay he might just be dumb enough to come back for more. He might even be in the dojo this very minute!

Ranma bumped up her battle aura another notch and stepped warily into the dojo, then stopped dead in her tracks. The walls of the big room were covered in garlands of crepe paper. Dozens of pink paper lanterns with the character for 'Congratulations' on them hung from the ceiling above a long table that had been setup on the practice floor. At one end were piles of wrapped presents and at the other, surrounding a big cake, stood a horde of women.

"Surprise!"

Seeing that Ranma was about to turn tail and run for her life, Akane rushed over and took her by the arm. "Come on you big 'fraidy cat. It's only a baby shower."

"I took a bath last night," Ranma said nervously, "I don't need a shower."

When she realized Ranma was serious, Akane started laughing. "It's not a _real _shower silly. A baby shower is when our friends give us stuff for the baby. Come on, it's a lot of fun!"

The number of women in attendance surprised Ranma. Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi were there of course as well as Nodoka and Hinako. Quite a few of the neighbors, who Ranma hated to admit she didn't know quite as well as their husbands, had brought refreshments. She considered it a minor miracle that a very pregnant looking Akari had made it there with Ryouga's mother at the wheel. And wonder of wonders Ukyo had come up from Osaka.

Ramna always felt a little uncomfortable around the ex-fiance. After Akari snagged Ryouga and Mousse finally captured Shampoo's heart, no one had stepped up to claim Ukyo. When Ranma and Akane went off to college together, the young chef had soon tired of Nerima and moved south. They completely lost track of her until 'Ucchan's Old Fashioned' brand of frozen okonomiyaki had come on the market a few years ago.

Ukyo was now a very successful business woman in Osaka. A few years ago a magazine had declared her one of Japan's most eligible bachelorettes, but Ranma noticed her ring finger was still unadorned. Odd rumors had surrounded her social life for many years and it was only mildly surprising when Akane pointed out an unfamiliar young woman in the crowd and told Ranma she was Ukyo's _special _friend.

The party wasn't so bad. Ranma was a little bored because the women were just standing around eating cake and talking, but then Nodoka announced it was time to play shower games. Somehow all of these games involved either touching Ranma or asking her strange questions. They played 'Baby Trivia' (Ranma got all the answers wrong), 'Guess How Big Her Belly Is?' (Nabiki suggested there wasn't enough yarn in Japan to measure Ranma's breasts), and one called the 'Diaper Game' that involved passing around diapers filled with either candy or red bean paste until the music stopped.

Then it was time to open gifts. They sat Ranma down in an armchair borrowed from a neighbor's house and presented her with a seemingly endless stream of packages wrapped in pink paper. There were far more gifts than there were people present, so it wasn't surprising to see gifts from old friends who couldn't make it to the party. She even opened gifts from Jeff and Debora in America.

The gifts were mostly baby clothes. Since everyone knew Ranko-chan was a girl almost from the start, they had gone wild buying her cute fashionable little outfits. Ranma wondered what would happen if her little girl turned out to be a tomboy and hated all these frilly things.

Then Akane deposited a large heavy box in Ranma's lap. It was much too heavy to be clothing and the attached card said it was from her mother. Ranma looked enquiringly at Nodoka, who just smiled back expectantly. She tore off the wrapping paper, but the brown cardboard box underneath gave no clue about what the contents might be.

She was still perplexed after ripping open the top and looking inside. It contained some kind of an air pump like the ones model builders used. Ranma had never been interested in those sorts of hobbies. So why her mother thought she suddenly would after the baby came and why all the women were snickering completely escaped the redhead.

Akane saw the puzzled look on her husband's face and reached into the box. She pulled out a smaller box and handed it to Ranma whose face turned every imaginable shade of red when she saw, "Easy Nurse Breast Pump Kit" written across the front. Below that was a picture, which left nothing to the imagination about how it was supposed to be used.

"_God I wish I'd thought of that!_" Nabiki muttered gleefully to herself in English.

o o o

Generally speaking it had to be one of the most boring dreams Ranma ever had. She was just sitting on the couch watching an old cowboy movie on the wall screen. It wasn't even a particularly good cowboy movie either. The dream would be wholly unremarkable except that Ranma had been having the same one almost every night for weeks now. She sensed it was important somehow, but every time the movie started to get interesting something happened to wake her up.

This time however, the movie passed into a new part she hadn't seen before. Several tribes of American Indians had gathered in a great valley surrounded by majestic buttes. Just before sunset all the warriors had mounted their horses and ridden off to ambush a garrison of soldiers. They left behind all the women and children, including the wife of the chief who was quite heavy with child.

The scene shifted to the pregnant woman alone inside her teepee. Not much seemed to be happening and it took Ranma a few minutes to realize that the woman lying on the floor dressed in buckskins with the long red hair looked decidedly more oriental than native American.

Ranma watched herself awkwardly stand up and step outside. She shaded her eyes as she scanned the landscape. Then a scruffy looking coyote wandered into the makeshift village to confront her. Ranma had the strangest feeling of deja vu as she seemed to know exactly what the characters in the movie were about to say. She knew them because she had been there.

In a sudden rush every detail of her last meeting with Coyote-sama returned to her. His warning about Ranko-chan's destiny, his advice on Ranma's role now that she was bringing this little spirit into the world, Ranko-chan's words of thanks and the wonderful feeling of holding her daughter in her arms. It all came back. Everything, even the last moments when Ranko-chan had turned into...

A sudden sharp pain woke Ranma from the dream. She sat up in bed and let out a grunt as the pain in her abdomen slowly faded away. In the bed beside her Akane rolled over and groggily asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Akane," Ranma said with growing excitement. "I remember what happened while they were doing the amniocentesis. It was another spirit walk... well something like it anyway. Coyote-sama was there and so was Ranko-chan. You won't believe what they told me and... and something else about Ranko-chan..."

"That's great sweetheart," Akane interrupted sleepily. "You can tell me all about it in the morning... Ranma, why is the bed wet?"

"Huh?" Ranma noticed for the first time that she was sitting in a pool of warm water. "Oh no, I hope I didn't get so excited that I peed."

"I don't think that's it," Akane said sitting up and sniffing at the damp sheets. "I think this might be... it is! Ranma, your water's broken!"

"It can't, I'm not due for another two weeks."

"Babies don't keep appointments," Akane said as she jumped out of bed and turned on the overhead light. "Have you had anything like a contraction yet?"

"Um... maybe," Ranma said with a worried look. "Some kind of pain woke me up, but I thought it was just part of my dream."

"I better go get Kasumi," Akane said hurrying for the door. "You just stay put and if you feel a contraction starting be sure to check the time."

Ranma sat there uncomfortably and considered what was happening. Could this really be it? Was her long ordeal almost over? And what about the things she had just remembered? What did it all mean, especially the last part where Ranko-chan appeared to change into a boy? Was it the curse? It seemed unlikely since none of Shampoo's children were cursed, but then again the Amazon had not been in her cursed form while pregnant.

Right now all of this speculation paled in light of the reality that she was about to give birth. Her abdominal muscles rippled slightly and she suddenly felt constipated. In the birthing classes the instructor had compared early contractions to menstrual cramps, but Ranma had only gone through that one time and she couldn't remember if it was like this. She made a mental note of the time and waited for Akane to return.

A couple of minutes later Kasumi walked into the room fully dressed followed by Akane still in her pajamas. She walked over to Ranma and said, "I asked Toufuu to go down and warm up the van just in case. When was the first contraction?"

"I'm not sure," Ranma said, "but I think I just had another one. Maybe not, it didn't hurt that much."

"They don't hurt much at first," Kasumi said while taking Ranma's wrist and looking at her watch. "Your heart's racing, so let's assume it really was a contraction. Why don't you get up and change into something dry. Akane, you'd better get dressed as well."

With Kasumi's help, she got out of bed and began stripping off her wet pajamas. Looking down at herself she noticed how every part of her seemed swollen. A brown stripe ran down the entire length of her abdomen except where it was interrupted by her belly button, which had popped out several weeks ago like one of those plastic meat thermometers. Her stretch marks weren't as bad as Akane's were from carrying the twins, but they would be a permanent reminder of this experience.

She dried off with a towel Akane fetched from the hall closet and slipped on an oversized sweatshirt. As she was stepping into a pair of sweatpants Kasumi said, "Before you do that, let me look and see if you've started dilating yet."

Akane stripped the wet sheets from the bed before Ranma laid down on it and spread her legs apart. Kasumi retrieved a flashlight from her medical bag and made quick work of the examination. When Toufuu walked in and said the van was ready, Kasumi turned to him and said, "I don't think we have time for that honey. She's already dilated three centimeters."

Just then another contraction rippled across Ranma's belly. It was more intense this time and lasted longer. Kasumi punched a button on her wristwatch and then checked the bedside clock. "That's about four minutes, right Ranma-kun?"

Ranma nodded while biting her lower lip. This was definitely getting painful.

Kasumi reached into her bag again and took out her medical PDA. She tapped the screen a few times and waited for the device to connect with the national obstetrics hotline. Part of Japan's response to the declining birthrate at the turn of the century was to provide ever more sophisticated services for expectant mothers. The hotline was just one part of a complex support structure.

"Good morning," said a female voice from the little unit, "your provider ID has been verified. What can we do for you Dr. Ono?"

"I have a patient in active labour. Her water's broken and she's already dilated to three centimeters. Contractions are strong and less than five minutes apart. Her name is Saotome Ranma and I'm requesting emergency transport."

"Understood doctor, your current location has been confirmed. Please wait while I pull up the patient's records... um... Doctor, did you say the patient's name is Saotome _Ranma_?"

Kasumi looked to Akane who nodded her head. They had been using Ranma's real name rather than Ranko because the fake records Nabiki had once arranged for her were all in that name. "That's correct."

"Oh," said the voice. "I see what the problem is. There are two entries with the same name. The first one to come up was a male sperm donor. That couldn't be your patient of course, but what a coincidence!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Ranma said with a chuckle. Her latest contraction was beginning to subside and she was finally able to catch her breath.

"Okay," said the voice. "Transportation is in route, but the patient was scheduled for the Nerima Family Medical Clinic. That facility doesn't have a landing pad. Could you please ask the patient if she will approve a change to Tokyo General?"

Kasumi put her hand over the PDA's microphone then looked up and said, "I know it's a long train ride for everyone, but if we have them take us to Northern Yokohama my license is still valid and I can deliver Ranko-chan for you. I promise there isn't a better obs staff in all of Japan."

Ranma shared a quick glance with Akane. They were both thinking the same thing. They would rather have Kasumi delivering their baby than any other doctor on Earth. "Let's do it," Ranma said decisively, "I'll rent a damn chopper to bring the family down if I have to."

Kasumi smiled and spoke into the handset, "The patient wishes to be transported to Northern Yokohama Hospital. I'm assuming primary status with Dr. Haruhi Yamaguchi as my backup."

"Confirmed doctor, your transport is one minute away. Good luck."

Ranma sucked in a breath as another contraction began. Kasumi checked her watch, "Three minutes and forty six seconds. Leave it to Ranma-kun to turn a normal birth into a foot race."

Twenty minutes later they were in the air soaring over downtown Tokyo at one hundred and sixty knots heading south. The ambulance crew had showed up almost before Ranma could finish dressing. They strapped her to a stretcher and wired up both fetal and regular heart monitors in a matter of minutes. Only Akane and Kasumi went with her in the ambulance. Toufuu choose to stay behind with the twins because there was no time to call their parents. The ambulance took them just a few blocks before stopping at a small open park where a helicopter sat waiting.

As the copter swooped down towards the roof of the hospital, Ranma called out the beginning of another contraction. She had gone from being excited and nervous to all business. The contractions were now only two minutes apart and lasted well over a minute each. Akane kept busy timing each contraction with the same stopwatch Ranma had used when the twins were born. As soon as the wheels touched down the doors slid open and a crowd of people Kasumi seemed to already know jumped into action.

"Welcome back Dr. Ono," said a young man in nurse's scrubs with a headset on, "didn't expect to see you back so soon. You start chasing ambulances?" he said pointing to Ranma on the stretcher.

"Nope," Kasumi shouted over the sound of the rotor blades, "this is a family rush job."

"Any family of yours is family of ours doctor," the emergency nurse said with a grin. "We'll handle her like one of our own." They hauled the stretcher out onto a gurney just as Ranma cried out the onset of another contraction.

By the time Akane climbed down out of the helicopter, the group of people had already disappeared into the building with Ranma. Another nurse came up and asked her, "Are you with the patient?" When Akane nodded, the girl led her away from the noisy helicopter and into a small room with nothing but two elevator doors inside. "Okay, I'll take you down to the waiting room. What relation are you to the patient?"

Akane was suddenly hit with the oddest sensation of displacement. She knew she belonged by Ranma's side, but in this situation what was she... really? She couldn't say she was Ranko-chan's mother and this girl would never understand how Ranma could be her husband. "I'm... I'm her... I just need to be with her, okay?"

The girl smiled and jotted something down on a clipboard, "Domestic partner, got it. Congratulations, you both must be very happy. I'll take you to the birthing suite."

o o o

Ten hours later Ranma was pacing back and forth across the floor of her nicely appointed room and muttering to herself, "Sure, jump in a helicopter and fly to another city because the baby's about to pop out at any second. I should have gone back to sleep! What medical school did Kasumi graduate from anyway?"

Akane yawned from the armchair next to the bed, "Tokyo University and she graduated with honors. It's not her fault you were in false labor. You were pushing pretty hard there for a while you know."

"I know. Trust me I know! How come you never told me how much this hurts?"

"I tried to tell you after I had the twins, but you wouldn't believe me."

"How could any man imagine this kind of pain? It hurts in a place I never even knew existed." Ranma leaned heavily on the bed and grabbed at her abdomen. "It's another big one!"

"That was quick," Akane said, jumping up and grabbing Ranma's arm. She helped her get back into bed and then pushed the call button.

"It's as strong as the ones this morning and lasting longer I think." Ranma said. "Better call the goon squad."

"Calling us names won't get you much sympathy around here Saotome-san," said the head nurse as she marched through the door. "According to the monitors your blood pressure's up and so is the baby's heart rate. That's the forth contraction in the last ten minutes. This could be the big one, are you ready?"

"Would it do any good if I said no?" Ranma asked exhaustedly.

"Not really. That was more a question for the baby. Just sit tight and I'll go fetch your doctor."

"Ranma, you really should try and be nicer to the staff," Akane said after the nurse left the room.

"Look whose talking!" Ranma retorted. "You called the nurses at your delivery emissaries from hell. You threatened to track them down to the third generation and throw them all into a fiery pit if they didn't get the boys out of you right then and there."

"And they treated me like a leper for the rest of the time I was in the hospital because of that." Akane pushed the sweat soaked hair off Ranma's forehead, "How are you doing? Do you want me to rub your back again?"

"No, I'm fine. Just let me hold your hand when the next one comes. That really helps."

They waited through another contraction before Kasumi came into the room with the head nurse and another woman in a white coat. She smiled when she saw Ranma and Akane holding hands and said, "How are we doing? I'd like you both to meet Dr. Yamaguchi, she's the head of the neonatology department here and my mentor for the last year and a half."

"It's a pleasure," said the tall middle-aged woman as she extended her hand to Akane. "You're in very good hands with Kasumi here. We're all quite sad to have her leaving us."

"Ranma-ku...chan," Kasumi said with a sidelong glance at her former boss, "I think we'll get you back in the stirrups now and have another look. Okay?"

"Whatever," Ranma said with a sigh, "but you said I'd get that epi-thingy before you did this again."

"The epidural?" Kasumi said arranging the padded leg rests at the foot of the bed. "I just want to confirm you're dilating again before we put that in."

Once Ranma's legs were in the stirrups and spread apart, both doctors took a look and then conferred quietly with the nurse. Kasumi turned back to Ranma just as another contraction hit. She waited for it to subside before she said, "You're up over six centimeters now so we'll go ahead with the epidural. That'll deaden the pain, but you'll need to start pushing even harder."

"I'll push," Ranma said through gritted teeth, "you just be ready when she comes out."

Kasumi chuckled, "I'll get a catcher's mitt."

Thirty minutes later a much happier looking Ranma lay back in the bed after another long contraction. "You're looking a little happier," Akane said.

"Of course I am," Ranma said while trying to catch her breath. "I went from having pain that made the Full-body Cat's Tongue feel gentle by comparison, to being totally numb from the waist down. Why didn't they do this eight hours ago?"

"I guess because you'd still only be dilated three centimeters if they had," Akane said with a shrug. "Just be happy you're numb already, Masato was halfway out before mine kicked in."

Kasumi walked into the room and talked to the nurse, then she crossed over to the bed and said, "Akane, why don't you go put a on some scrubs, I think we're ready to go for it. Oh yes, the whole family's here now. Nabiki and Tatewaki just showed up, the Saotome's brought Toufuu and the twins a little while ago and Daddy's been here with Hinako-chan since eight o'clock. Ranma, your mother asked if it was okay for her to come in?"

"Is it okay?" Ranma asked crossly, "Of course it's okay! Why wouldn't it be okay? What does she think..." Ranma grabbed Akane's hand tightly as a really strong contraction cut her off.

Kansumi took a look under the sheet covering Ranma's legs and said, "Yep, you're definitely ready. Akane go find Aunte Saotome and get both of you into scrubs." Turning to the nurse she asked, "Has everything been prepared?"

"Yes doctor. I'll go get the rest of the team."

Kasumi waited until the contraction ended then took Ranma's hand. Softly she said, "This is it Ranma-kun. You're fully dilated and I saw the top of Ranko-chan's head just now. She's definitely your baby, just wait till you see her. When the next contraction starts I want you to push as hard as you can. I know what you're capable of, so I don't think we'll have to do this more than once."

"I'm not so sure Kasumi," Ranma said looking a little confused. "I must have been crazy to think I could do this. Maybe you should just cut me open and take her out right now."

Kasumi smiled. "That's a common reaction women have at this stage. You're doing fine Ranma-kun. I know you can do this. Think of it as the final clash in a long drawn-out battle. One more decisive blow and the fight's over."

"I'll try Kasumi," Ranma said without conviction. Then she perked up a little and said, "Hey, thanks for doing this. I know doctors aren't supposed to work on their own family, but having you here makes Akane and me feel a whole lot better. Oh, one more thing, after she's out don't let anyone..."

She was cut short by the beginning of another contraction. Just in time people began streaming into the room, including the green clad figures of Akane and Nodoka who took up positions on either side of the bed. They each took one of Ranma's hands and braced themselves. From the foot of the bed Kasumi's voice called out, "I can see the head. All right Ranma-chan, start pushing!"

Channeling all her ki into her abdominal muscles, Ranma gripped her wife's and her mother's hands tightly as she rose up off the bed and pushed with everything she had. There was a sudden shocked silence from the nurses gathered at the foot of the bed and then the high-pitched cry of a newborn filled the room.

Ranma blew out a huge breath and dropped back onto the bed totally spent. Nodoka leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "You did very well sweetheart. I've never been more proud of you."

Akane let go of Ranma's hand and stepped to the foot of the bed. One of the nurses handed her a pair of sterilized scissors and showed her were to cut the umbilical cord. After years of thinking she would never get a chance to do this, she hesitated for just a moment before snipping her daughter's lifeline. Then Kasumi held up a squirming, screaming, mucus covered miracle and Akane cried out, "Ranma, she's gorgeous!"

"She?" Ranma asked weakly. "Let me see, please?"

Kasumi stood up with the baby cradled in her hands and walked to the bedside. Ranma looked in wonder at the ugliest thing she'd ever seen. A mop of long red hair was plastered to Ranko-chan's skull with blood and muck, her skin was so gray she looked like an alien and she was still screaming at the top of her little lungs. Yet the mere sight of her made Ranma's heart skip several beats.

Kasumi turned to one of the nurses and said, "Let's get her weighed and washed up."

Ranma was suddenly very much awake, "No! You can't do that!"

Nodoka tried to calm her down, "Ranma-chan it's okay. They won't hurt her, they're just going to give her a quick bath and then bring her right back to you."

"No bath..." Ranma stammered, "No water! Akane? Don't let them put her into water!"

Kasumi and Akane exchanged anxious glances. Then Akane leaned over and whispered, "What's wrong sweetheart? What do you think's going to happen?"

"I'll explain later," Ranma said almost in tears, "Just don't let them give her a bath yet."

Akane looked at Kasumi and shook her head. Kasumi tuned to the nurse and said, "Just measure and weigh her. Don't clean her off yet. It's... a religious thing." She handed Ranko-chan over to the nurse, then turned back to Ranma and said "You did wonderfully Ranma-chan. I don't think anyone's ever seen a baby come out quite that quickly before."

Ranma lay back against the pillows and said, "Thank goodness it's finally over."

"Um..." Kasumi said, smiling knowingly to Akane and Nodoka, "It's not exactly over yet."

"Huh?" Ranma looked expectantly from one female relative to the next. "There's more?"

"Just the afterbirth," Kasumi said with a grin, "but it'll be nothing compared to the baby."

The nurse returned with Ranko-chan wrapped in a blanket and handed her to Akane. Then she said to Kasumi, "Thirty eight centimeters, three point two kilograms and the five minute APGAR score is a nice healthy nine."

Akane placed Ranko into her mother's waiting arms and for the first time the tiny redhead stopped screaming. She opened her eyes so Ranma could finally see in real life the intense blue she had only seen before in visions. "Hello," she said softly, "I told you I'd see you again soon."

Ranko-chan opened her mouth as if to respond, but instead made a face like a fish. Ranma looked up and asked, "What's she doing?"

Kasumi smiled and said, "She wants you to feed her now. Go ahead, she needs the colostrum and it'll do you both good to relax for a bit."

"Let me help you with your bra dear," Nodoka said leaning over and opening one of the nursing flaps for her daughter.

As Ranko-chan settled in and began to gorge herself in traditional Saotome feeding fashion, Ranma's exhausted mind collapsed in on itself. Gradually they became the only two beings in the universe and she whispered sleepily, "I love you sweetheart. It doesn't matter if you have the curse or not, I'll always be there to protect you. You can count on it..."

Then mother and daughter fell asleep together.

o o o

Kasumi opened the door just a crack and peeked out to see who had knocked. She quickly opened the door and let Hinako-chan slip inside. "Did you get both of them mother?" Kasumi asked conspiratorially.

"Of course I did," the little girl said while holding up two large styrofoam cups. "I got the hot water right out of the tea dispenser. What should I do with the teabag?"

"Just toss in the trash can, Hinako," Nodoka said with exasperation. She had a greater tolerance for the girl these days, but she still preferred the adult version.

"Let me have those please," Akane said taking the cups. She walked over to the bed where Ranma held Ranko-chan in her arms.

"Let me get this straight," Nabiki asked Ranma, "Under sedation you had a hallucination that Ranko-chan turned into a boy, so now you think she has the same curse you do?"

"It was a vision Nabiki," Ranma said. After a few hours sleep she was pretty much back to her old self. Ranko-chan was looking better too. Ranma had finally allowed the nurses to clean her up using waterless baby-wipes. "Make fun of me if you want to, but so far everything Coyote-sama showed me has come true."

"Kasumi," Akane said, "How warm can I make the water and still be safe?"

"No more than a few degrees above body temperature."

Akane mixed water from both cups into a drinking glass then held it out to Ranma. She stuck a finger in the glass and nodded, "That's warm enough for the change to take place."

Akane then held it out for Kasumi to check, "It's cool enough for the baby. All these years I thought it had to be scalding. I'm sorry Ranma-kun."

"That's okay, I've gotten used to it being really hot." Ranma said as she unwrapped Ranko-chan from the blanket. Even though the nurses had cleaned her up, her hair was still a sticky mess. "Time for mom to wash your hair sweetie," Ranma said as Akane put a washing basin on the bed and prepared to pour the warm water over their baby's head. Everyone held their breath, but even after pouring the whole glass full on her, Ranko-chan's hair was still red and her anatomy still female.

Akane let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she said.

"Um..." Nabiki mused, "You know if Ranko-chan is naturally a girl, maybe the curse works the other way around?"

Everyone exchanged nervous glances as Nadoka handed Akane the cup of cold water. Ranko-chan was not as happy about having ice cold water poured over her. She started to cry, but otherwise she remained a she.

"I don't understand," Ranma said as she offered her irritated daughter a breast to suck on. "I'm certain I saw her change in the vision."

"Maybe Coyote-sama was just playing a trick on you," Akane said as she dried Ranko-chan's hair. "Or maybe you just misunderstood what he was showing you. Maybe someday she'll find the Nannichuan and fall in. At least we know she's not cursed now."

"I don't know..." Ranma said unconvinced. "What about the sonogram right after the battle with Nabe? The doctor said everyone thought she was a boy then." Suddenly Ranko-chan clamped down hard and Ranma jumped, "Hey you! Go easy on that thing, don't wear it out on the first day."

Everyone laughed and Ranma looked around the bed at all the smiling faces. Practically every woman in her life was here with her, mothers, sisters, wife and most importantly her daughter. For the first time she felt a genuine connection with these women. She was no longer an outsider just pretending to be one of them. She had experienced something only a woman could and she knew that even when she became a man again, that part of her would forever remain female.

x x x

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) okonomiyaki - a pancake like mixture of batter, vegetables and meat that's fried on a flat open grill.

(2) amniocentesis - the procedure to extract amniotic fluid from the womb using a long needle.

(3) neonatology - the branch of medicine specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.

(4) epidural - a form of anesthesia involving injection of drugs through a catheter which can cause both a loss of sensation and a loss of pain by blocking the transmission of pain signals through nerves in or near the spinal cord

(5) APGAR score - a simple and repeatable method to quickly assess the health of newborn children immediately after childbirth. A score over 7 is normal, but a score below 3 is critical.

(6) colostrum – a thick yellowish form of breast milk produced in late pregnancy and for a few days after giving birth.


	14. Chapter 13 – Returning to Chaos as Usual

**Chapter 13 - Returning to Chaos as Usual**

Dr. Haruhi Yamaguchi looked up from her computer screen and stared out the window. It was a beautiful day, quite warm for the middle of March and there were signs of early budding on the cherry trees that lined the driveway in front of the hospital. There was a knock at the door, so she quickly minimized all the windows on her screen with patient information and called out, "Come in!"

Kasumi Ono stepped into the room with a young girl Haruhi had seen in the waiting room with her family a few days ago. The girl appeared to be about ten years old and from the telltale signs, that perhaps only Haruhi would notice, she guessed the child had a congenital heart problem.

"Good morning sensei," Kasumi said in her always bright and cheerful way. It was one of the things that made her so beloved by the patients and staff alike, but it was also the trait that worried Haruhi the most. One day she feared that smile would take its toll on Kasumi and the light behind it would burn out.

"Good morning Kasumi-kun. Who do we have here?" Haruhi stuck out her hand to the little girl who grasped it weakly and pumped it up and down only once.

"I'm Hinako Tendo. Pleased to meet you doctor. Kasumi-chan has told us all a great deal about you."

Haruhi was taken aback by the little girl's mature demeanor. It wasn't unusual for children weakened by a bad heart to turn to books or the Internet to fill the emptiness created by their condition. Those children often appeared to be more mature, but something about this little girl was different. She definitely gave off the impression of being truly adult.

"Kasumi-kun," Haruhi said, "I didn't know you had another little sister. Or perhaps Hinako-chan's a cousin?"

"Sensei, Hinako is..." Kasumi started to say hesitantly. When she faltered, Hinako put her hand reassuringly on Kasumi's arm and she continued, "You see, Hinako is my stepmother."

Haruhi stared at Kasumi dumbfounded. She hadn't thought the girl capable of something like this. "Kasumi-kun, I know I told you to work on improving your sense of humor, but I didn't mean you should take up practical jokes."

"This isn't a joke sensei, Hinako really is my stepmother. She married my father five years ago. I wanted you to meet her because I think she may be able to help patients like Kenta Watanabi."

"You don't seriously expect me to believe that this... this child is married to your father? If that's true the man should be arrested!"

"That's enough!" shouted Hinako. "Kasumi-chan does not lie. If you'd really worked with her for any length of time you should know that. I won't stand by and have someone call my daughter a liar."

Once again Haruhi was struck by the girl's maturity and demanding presence. "I'm sorry, but you must admit that on the face of it what you're saying sounds ludicrous."

"How dare you!" Hinako already had a five yen coin in her hand and was raising it when Kasumi grabbed her arm.

"Mother no, please let me explain this to Dr. Yamaguchi."

"Only if she agrees to behave herself and stop acting naughty."

"Sensei, please?" Kasumi said with eyes that pleaded for her to say yes.

"Okay," Haruhi said at last. "I'll listen, but this had better be good."

Hinako crossed her arms and pouted while Kasumi tried to explain. "When mother was a child she suffered from a condition that left her too weak to go to school. The same martial arts master who taught my father also taught her a technique for draining the ki energy from another person and using it to make her own body stronger. By doing so she was able to attend school, go on to university and she now teaches advanced English to middle and high school students. Despite mother's appearance she's actually about your age, sensei."

"Humph," Hinako said giving the doctor a sidelong glance.

"So this..." Haruhi said disdainfully, "person is supposed to be a teacher of advanced English?"

Kasumi nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but Hinako held up her hand and said in English with a slight British accent, "_That's correct doctor. The other day, while waiting for my daughter-in-law to give birth, I happened across a copy of the American Medical Journal containing a paper you had written. While I was fascinated by your theories on the polymerization of certain amino acids as a way to improve the regeneration of nerve tissues in congenital spinal disorders, I was shocked by your abysmal command of the English language. Not only did you consistently forget to use articles properly, but also you seem to have no grasp of the past perfect tense of common verbs. Would that be a fair assessment doctor?_"

Haruhi tried to pick her jaw up off the floor at the same time she brushed away a large drop of sweat from the back of her head. "I... um... that is... how? How is this possible?"

"Mother," Kasumi said with a hint of pride in her voice, "perhaps a demonstration is in order. You can drain me if you like."

"I can't just drain anyone Kasumi-chan," Hinako said apologetically. "They need to be angry or showing a battle aura before I can use the technique."

"Will this do?" Kasumi said. Suddenly the room was filled with an overpowering feeling of doom.

Haruhi recoiled from the young doctor as if she had suddenly turned into a towering monster. "Wha... What's happening?"

"That's splendid Kasumi-chan!" Hinako said with pride and delight. "I had no idea you could do something like this."

"I did spend all day in the house with Grandfather Happosai for over two years." Kasumi giggled, but it did not weaken her aura in the least. "I had to find some way to get him to listen to me."

As Haruhi watched, Hinako held up a five-yen coin between her fingers. She mumbled something under her breath and just as suddenly as it had appeared the stifling feeling in the room was gone. Kasumi seemed to physically weaken as well, but it was the sight of Hinako that riveted her attention.

The little girl began to grow before her eyes. It was as if someone had taken a picture of her every day for thirty years and played it back at high speed. Within seconds a voluptuous middle-aged woman with streaks of gray running through her brown hair stood where the little girl had just been.

Hinako stepped to Kasumi's side and took her arm. Helping her into a chair she said in a very grown-up voice, "I'm sorry Kasumi-chan, but once I start taking it in it's sometimes difficult to stop."

"That's alright mother." Kasumi said with her trademark smile. Turning to Haruhi she said, "You see doctor? This is what I think might someday help children like Kenta-chan. My sister's husband has agreed to work on perfecting this technique, changing it from an old man's weapon into something that can sustain and strengthen weak young bodies."

"Yes, yes I see how this could be of great help to such children, but why bring this to me Kasumi-kun?"

"Because you have access to the children and their parents. I was hoping that over the next few years you could select some suitable candidates and work with my brother-in-law to put together some kind of martial arts program for them."

"Believe me doctor," Hinako said, "I know what it's like to be a weak child, to feel like you will never fit in with other children. Even if it means living part of my life as a perpetual child, it's worth the price of being alive and healthy."

o o o

"So you're finally leaving us today, Saotome-san?" the nurse asked as she put the last of the flower arrangements onto a cart. "It certainly has been... _interesting _having you here with us. Tell me, are you planning to have another baby anytime soon? You see I'm retiring in another three years."

Ranma bowed her head and tried to sound contrite. "I'm sorry for all the commotion my friends and relatives have caused. Was there a great deal of damage?"

"Oh no. Not much at all. They've already replaced most of the windows and there's no permanent damage to the x-ray machine. The pool is still closed, but I'm sure it's just to finish cleaning out the panda hair."

Ranma looked down at the baby cradled in her arms and tried not to laugh. "Well, I'm afraid Ranko-chan's it. There won't be any more after her."

The nurse looked puzzled. "Oh really? You had such an easy delivery and with your hips you could have lots of children. You're quite young too. Large families are a blessing you know... well maybe in your case that's not such a good selling point."

Ranma chuckled, "Three's plenty. Besides I have it on good authority she's my one and only little miracle."

"You're all packed up, Saotome-san," the nurse said. "Let me take the little miracle and you can get dressed. Someone is picking you up, right? Don't you live way up in Nerima?"

"That's right," Ranma said passing Ranko-chan into the nurse's waiting arms. "Akane was supposed to rent a car to take us home. She should have been here by now, so I guess there was some hold up. Honestly, I'd just rather take the train home than drive through Tokyo on a weekday."

"Oh I know what you mean," the nurse said as she played with Ranko-chan's nose. "But a crowded train is no place for a newborn."

Ranma finished putting on the outfit Akane had brought for her to wear home. Finding something had been a bit of a problem because her maternity clothes were all too big now and everything she had from before her pregnancy was too small because she had grown taller.

The nurse made her sit in a wheelchair. "Hospital regulations," was the excuse. Then she handed Ranko-chan back and suggested Ranma feed her before they go. "If her tummy's full, it'll help her sleep through the trip."

Ranma was still sitting there five minutes later with Ranko-chan locked onto her right breast when Kuno burst into the room. He marched two paces forward, took one look, turned on his heel and walked straight into the door, which had just closed behind him. He hit the floor with the dazed look Ranma remembered all too well. The only thing missing were her footprints on his face.

In fact the only thing that had changed about Kuno since his days as the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High was the tailored Italian suits that he wore. His approach to life and business hadn't changed much and he still acted like some cheap movie version of a samurai most of the time. Oddly that seemed to work in his favor when it came to business dealings. Associates were either afraid of him or found him so amusing that they failed to notice he was picking their corporate pockets.

Ranko-chan was well past full, so Ranma exchanged a pacifier for her nipple and closed up her blouse. Kuno came back to what little senses he had and arose on one knee.

"Fairest Red-haired Princess," he said with a sweep of his arm. "Thou art a vision of maternal perfection. The sight of your motherly ministrations humbles me. You have indeed surpassed the womanly ideal for which you were created. I greet you, not as a former lover, but as an enduring admirer."

"Nice to see you too, Kuno," Ranma said with a smirk.

"The beauteous Akane and my beloved Na-chan have requested I secure a chariot to whisk you and the fruit of your womanhood back to your mansion in Nerima with all do haste. May I, the Great Wind of the Nevada Desert, have the honor of accompanying you to yon awaiting carriage?"

"No you may not," said the nurse who had just entered the room behind him. "But you can follow me as I take her down to yon pharmacy and then off to hither administration office." Turning to Ranma she added, "There are just a few forms to sign and then we can let you go Saotome-san."

Twenty minutes and much flowery rhetoric later, the nurse pushed Ranma towards the bank of elevators. She had quite a load now and was glad for the ride. There was Ranko-chan of course, plus a large shopping bag full of free stuff they had picked up at the pharmacy. Most important were the list of things she needed to do over the next few weeks, an immunization checklist, and a certified copy of Ranko-chan's birth record.

The clerk at the administration office had done a double take when she saw the father listed as Ranma Saotome under one spelling and Ranma Saotome as the mother using different characters. She and Akane had debated what to do about these legal documents and decided to be as honest as they could concerning Ranko-chan's parentage. This would follow her for the rest of her life and could be important when it came time for her to marry and have her own children someday.

Kuno followed them into the elevator and reached for the buttons before the nurse could. The doors closed and they began to go up. "Kuno," Ranma said with exasperation, "we have to go down to get to the lobby."

"That is correct, my ever observant Princess. However we are not bound for the plebeian terrain of the lobby. Your chariot waits upon higher ground."

Ranma shook her head while the nurse giggled quietly. "Kuno, what are you up to now?"

"You'll see the depths of my devotion with your own eyes shortly," Kuno said with a prideful grin, "Perhaps this would be an advantageous time for me to beg an act of kindness from you, my copper-haired goddess? Although my reasons may not at first appear comprehensible, I would beseech you to inquire of your honored older brother if he could put aside our years of enmity and see fit to stand at my side during the forthcoming nuptials."

"You want me to be your best man?" Ranma shouted, forgetting they weren't alone and that Kuno was crazy. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I merely ask that you put forth the proposition to him. It would do my heart well to mend the rift between us before we are joined as one in family. Ah! At last we have arrived at Valhalla!"

The door opened onto a small unadorned room with a set of automatic sliding doors looking out over the roof. Parked on the helipad was a small tilt-rotor aircraft painted in the gaudiest color scheme Ranma had ever seen. As the nurse pushed her wheelchair through the doors, she saw the logo 'Kuno Loa Travel' written across the side of the airplane.

"Isn't that a most glorious carriage in which to bear home your progeny?" Kuno asked with evident pride.

"Who the hell said you could park that thing up here?" the nurse shouted angrily. "This landing pad is for emergency helicopters only."

"Never fear my dear lady. My trusted pilot has been constantly monitoring the airways for such vehicles. Had one needed right of entry onto your facility, he would have lifted off immediately."

"I'm going to get security," the nurse said tersely, she was clearly unimpressed with the Great Wind of the Desert. "Saotome-san, I'll take you back downstairs."

"That's okay," Ranma said standing up, "I'm used to this sort of thing. We'll be out of your way very shortly. Come on Kuno, you've caused enough bedlam for one day."

Nabiki was waiting for them by the open hatch beckoning them to hurry up. "Isn't this great?" she said as they came closer. "Climb on in!"

Being extra careful not to bump Ranko-chan against anything, Ranma ducked into the cabin. Inside she found Akane already seated and pointing to another seat with a car carrier already attached. "Hi sweetheart," she said. "I know you were expecting a limo, but you know how things go."

Ranma carefully strapped the still sleeping Ranko-chan into the carrier and plopped down into the seat right next to it. "I can't believe this. Where does he come up with these things?"

Nabiki kneeled on the seat in front of Ranko-chan and said merrily, "This thing belongs to one of Take's dad's weird little companies. Normally it flies between the Southern Islands, but it was sitting up at Narita for its annual inspection so we just _had _to borrow it."

Kuno finished pulling the hatch shut then stood up and smashed his head on the low ceiling. Recovering quickly he knocked on the door of the cockpit and said, "Sasuke! Take us home."

"Wait a minute," Ranma shouted, "Are you telling me that bungling little ninja is your pilot?"

"Yes indeed," Kuno said while strapping himself into a seat, "but fear not for he has many thousands of hours flying machines every bit as complex as this."

"Relax sweetheart," Akane said reassuringly, "The flight down here was really quite nice and smooth."

"Sure thing, Ranma-baby," Nabiki chimed in. "The little guy's a klutz, but behind the wheel he's an ace."

Ranma tried to relax as the engines whined to life. Soon the rotors began to beat against the air and that's when Ranko-chan woke up. Between finding herself strapped into a strange box, not being able to see her mother and the loud frightening noises she used the only technique in her martial arts arsenal. She started crying and never stopped until long after they had arrived home.

o o o

Akane walked into the bathroom and found Ranma already there, standing in front of the full length mirror admiring herself. She watched with amusement as the redhead turned first one way and then another trying to get the best view of her rear end. At last Akane giggled and said, "The answer is yes, it's bigger than it used to be."

Ranma looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Still it's not too bad for just six weeks of working out, don't you think?"

"Yes," Akane said with a smirk, "very impressive. You realize, of course, you're about to go back to having no butt at all."

Ranma frowned. "Yeah, I know. What really worries me is how much more uncomfortable this will make the transition. It used to only be my breasts becoming bigger all of a sudden."

"At least the difference in your height won't be so much now." Akane decided to change the subject before this turned into a cursed anatomy lesson. "Should we go through the checklist now?"

"Sure," Ranma said unenthusiastically.

"Has Ranko-chan been fed?"

"Yep, fed and fast asleep."

"Did you put the breast milk you pumped this morning into the freezer?" Ranma nodded and Akane smiled, "Good! We should have enough for another six weeks if this doesn't work out."

"I sure hope it does," Ranma said with a worried look. "She really doesn't like being fed from a bottle."

Akane frowned. "Ranma, if you're not a hundred percent sure about this, we have plenty of waterproof soap left."

"No," the redhead said while bowing her head. "I can't put this off any longer. I've got to get back to work and then there's Nabiki's wedding coming up... The truth is I'm just being selfish wanting to stay this way. If I don't do it right now, Ranko-chan might _never _get to know her father."

Akane walked up behind Ranma and wrapped her arms around her husband's tiny waist, something that irked her when she remembered the months of dieting and exercise she had endured to get her figure back after the twins were born. "It'll be alright, you'll see. Anyway it's only for a few hours this time. Do you want me to help?"

Ranma leaned back, resting her head on Akane's shoulder. "No, I think I'd rather do this alone."

She pulled away from Akane and stepped up to the glass door leading to the furo. Putting a hand on the door handle, she sighed heavily and slid it open. After stepping into the steamy bath she slid the door shut without looking back.

Akane sat down on the toilet and chewed at her lower lip. This was eerily similar to the day sixteen months ago when Ranma had gone into the furo as a man for the last time. Back then the future had been full of uncertainties, neither one of them knew if she could even become pregnant. The question now was could she return to being the man she had once been after all that had happened?

Akane heard the shower come on and it stayed on long after Ranma should have been in the tub. She knew him well enough to know it meant he didn't want her to hear him swearing or crying... or both. When the sound of running water stopped at last, she stood up expectantly.

The door slid open and Ranma stood in front her, a towel wrapped around his slim waist, his long black hair draped over one broad shoulder and his dark eyes twinkling from an angular face she hadn't seen in a year and a half. Akane began to tremble as she felt all the strength drain from of her body. Her knees went weak and rather than fall to the floor she rushed forward, throwing herself into his powerful arms and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," Ranma said in a rich masculine voice. "It's okay. It's just me."

Akane shook her head, too overcome to speak. With one hand she caressed the sinewy muscles of his upper arm, while she tried to gather even a little of his firm flat chest into the other. Looking up into his face, still very boyish for a man his age, she felt again the dynamic charisma that had always made her feel safe in his arms no matter what danger they faced.

They stood in each other's arms for several minutes. Akane sobbing quietly and Ranma just happy to be holding the woman he loved. Finally Akane pushed away from him and wiped ineffectually at her tear soaked eyes. "I... I missed you so much! I... I wanted you so much! I... I..."

"I know," Ranma said placing his hands on her shoulders to stop her from shaking. "I'd be five kinds of a fool to think I was the only one who made sacrifices to bring Ranko-chan into this world. I'll make it up to you, Tendo, I swear I will, but right now we have work to do."

Akane nodded her head and sniffed back another sob. "I know. You better get dressed, if I remember correctly you promised not to scare the children."

When Ranma was dressed in his favorite sleeveless silk shirt and a pair of sweat pants, they walked hand-in-hand to their bedroom where Ranko-chan lay asleep in her crib. "I hate to wake her up," Ranma said. "She's likely to cry for that reason alone."

"If she really recognizes you it won't matter," Akane said. They had been debating for months whether Ranko-chan would be able to recognize Ranma as the same person in both male and female forms. The twins had never seemed to notice the difference, but they were looking for daddy not mommy.

Ranma bent over the crib and gently brushed at his baby's fine red hair. His hand seemed so massive in comparison to her now. Suddenly he was afraid to pick up the little girl he had breastfed less than an hour ago. Shaking it off, he put one hand behind her neck and the other under her butt and lifted her to his shoulder.

Letting her slip into the crook of his arm he jiggled her lightly and said, "Wake up, sleepyhead. Mommy... uh... daddy wants to see those big blue eyes."

Reluctantly Ranko-chan opened her eyes and looked up at the stranger holding her. She drew in a deep breath preparing to scream her head off, but stopped when her nose filled with the man's scent. Her eyes widened and then closed contentedly. Her head flopped over to face Ranma's flat chest and her mouth started making suckling motions.

Ranma and Akane grinned at each other and then Akane said, "I guess that settles it. She definitely knows who you are."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Ranma said as he kissed Ranko-chan's head, "but daddy can't feed you right now." He picked up a pacifier from dresser and worked it into her little mouth. Within minutes she was asleep again and he passed her to Akane.

"That's one down," Akane said.

"And two to go," Ranma said with a grin.

He walked upstairs and stood for a few minutes outside the boys' room. He wasn't really worried that the boys wouldn't remember him or adjust in time to his changing genders again. He was a bit concerned they had both come to rely on him as a second mother figure. He'd be spending plenty of time in female mode as Ranko-chan grew up, but he also wanted his boys to have a strong father figure again.

He opened the door and stepped inside to find his sons on the floor engrossed in a video game. With the perfect synchronization he had come to expect from identical twins, they turned their heads around and said together, "Hi daddy." Then they whipped them back around to their game.

Ranma stared at them skeptically. Was it really going to be this easy? "What are you guys up to?"

"Nothing," they said in unison without looking away from the screen.

"So, did you notice anything _different _about daddy today?"

Once again two little heads turned as one and with matching shrugs they said, "Nope."

As they turned back to their game, Ranma noticed Hideto crack a faint smile. "I see..." he said with a grin widening on his face. "Mind if I play along with you guys?"

"Maybe later," this time they were not in unison because each was beginning to crack up on his own.

"I think," Ranma said dropping into a crouch, "maybe NOW!" He leapt into the center of the room, but fell face first onto a bare floor. Rolling over quickly he looked up to see Hideto and Masato perched on the ceiling.

Both boys screamed "Daddy!" as they dropped on top of Ranma and started hugging him. He began wrestling with them and they squealed and giggled in delight.

Two hours later, Akane came to find Ranma sitting cross-legged on the floor with a twin on each knee. They each had a game controller in hand and the small wall screen was filled with a rampaging battle between doe-eyed bunny rabbits with swords and something that resembled a lump of uncooked hamburger with legs.

"I hope that's the final boss," she said, "because dinner's ready."

"Aw, mom!" cried the boys.

Ranma fell backwards and flopped on the floor in front of her. Looking up between her legs he leered and said in a whiny voice, "Aw, mom!"

Akane laughed and bumped the side of his head with her foot. "As for you, young man, there's someone in this house who's going to be waking up soon and she'll want dinner too. I'll get the boys settled at the table and meet _you _in the bath."

The boys hopped up and hungrily followed Akane out the door while Ranma remained sprawled on the floor. "Hey," he called out, "when do I get dinner?"

Ranma stepped out of the furo a few minutes later naked, wet and female once again. "Now for the most important test of all," Akane said handing her the business end of the breast pump.

"They look just as big," Ranma said hoisting one ponderous breast into place and putting the device over its nipple. "Okay, let her rip."

Akane switched on the pump and in a few seconds milky white fluid began dropping into the collection bottle. They waited until there were a few ounces just to make sure it wasn't going to stop and then turned off the machine.

"Looks like my baby eats home style for a little while longer," Ranma said with a grin as she used a baby-wipe to cleaned up and started to get dressed.

"That's up to you," Akane said. "I stopped when the boys were only eight weeks old, but I had two of them to feed. How long are you planning to keep it up?"

"I don't know. The woman at the breastfeeding class said three months was good, but I figure Ranko-chan will let me know when she's ready for something else."

"Don't bet on it," Akane said with a smirk. "We all expected you'd learn table manners on your own and _that _never happened."

Ranma stuck out her tongue and replied, "Speaking of table manners, when do I get to eat?"

Akane turned and blocked her from leaving the bathroom. "Once you've fed Ranko-chan and taken another really _hot _bath, you and I have reservations at that little ryokan in Koyama."

"You mean the one next to the amusement park, where we went for our anniversary two years ago?" Ranma said with growing interest. "The one with the private onsen baths in every room and all the... um... 'toys'?"

Akane nodded. "That's the one. Kasumi and Toufuu agreed to watch the kids for the night so that I can get reacquainted with that guy who was in here a few minutes ago. So, do you still want to eat dinner now?"

"That kid better eat damn fast tonight!" Ranma said giving Akane a quick kiss before pushing past her and racing for the bedroom.

Akane grinned. "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war! Ranma Saotome is back."

o o o

Perm glanced at the little map Shampoo had given her before they parted ways at the train station. This was her first trip to the toy factory and the size of the place was shocking. The 'train' had been a bit of a shock as well. When her leader had directed her to the little cave outside the village, Perm was expecting some sort of mine train. To find a string of roller coaster cars instead had left her speechless.

"Buying a mine train from overseas would have attracted too much attention," Shampoo explained. "But a few old roller coasters bought for scrap value didn't even raise an eyebrow at the foreign trade ministry. The fact that it's so much faster than any mine train is a big bonus."

And it was fast... very fast. The old linear induction motors got the cars up to one hundred klicks in a matter of seconds and Perm couldn't even imagine how fast they were going once they passed the halfway point and started going downhill. What really threw her were the loops and corkscrews at this end of the line. Shampoo had passed them off as simply a way to slow the cars down, but Perm suspected the men of the village just thought it was more fun to ride that way.

She worked her way trough the maze of buildings until she found herself in a carpeted hallway outside a set of double doors. She knocked on and heard an ancient voice from inside call out, "Come in, child. I've been waiting for you."

Stepping into the large corner office, Perm first noticed how cluttered it was. Boxes and packing material were strewn everywhere. Some of the things sticking out of those boxes looked like antiques while others looked like they had recently been ordered off the Internet. Amid all the disorder only one thing moved and it appeared to be the most ancient thing in the collection. Perm dropped to one knee and said formally, "Great Elder Cologne. I've come as you requested. My life and my sword are yours to command..."

Cologne hopped out from behind one of the boxes and looked quizzically at the curly-haired girl. She grinned impishly and said, "Get up off the floor, child! God only knows what I might have spilled there."

Perm stared in horror at the heavily stained carpet and shot to her feet. She now noticed the dozens of large jugs scattered about the room, each filled with what looked like nothing more than water. The thought of what magical powers might be alive in those jugs gave the girl an icy chill. She straightened up and came to attention, then began over again, "Great Elder Cologne. I've come..."

Cologne chuckled at the girl's reaction. "Relax Perm, there's no need to be so formal. You're not here to be disciplined. Quite the contrary, I've been hearing lots of good things about you and your team from my great-granddaughter."

"Thank you, Great Elder," Perm said with a genuine look of surprise. "I had no idea you took an interest in the warriors."

"I take an interest in everything that affects the future of our tribe. Call me Cologne, Great Elder just reminds me how old I used to be." Cologne winked, which brought a hint of a smile to the girl's face at last. "Shampoo thinks your full potential is being wasted guarding the village and I quite agree. Would you be interested in something a little more dangerous, something that requires your unique talents?"

"I...I don't know what to say. Of course I want to do whatever I can for the tribe, but there are other team leaders far more experienced than me."

"True," Cologne said, hopping over to one of the windows and peeking out through the blinds. "But they don't speak fluent Japanese and English like you do. They don't have two years of special ops training with the PLA like you. And they don't have your strong determination and willpower. Perm, I want you to work for me. Do you have any objection to conducting operations outside the country?"

Perm looked stunned. To work for the Great Elder was a privilege she had never dreamed of. "No ma'am. I've been preparing for such missions my whole life. What is it you want me to do?"

Cologne hopped over to a large box with 'Pinyin Media Works' printed in large English letters on the outside. She reached in and took out a DVD holder similar to the kind games were packaged in and tossed it to the girl. "Do you recognize the any of the people characterized on this package?"

Perm looked at the box. On the front, under the English title 'Nerima Wrecking Crew', was a cartoon of eight young people. Standing prominently in front was a young man with black hair and a girl with red hair. Both wore their hair in a short pigtail and were dressed in matching Chinese silks. The others included a girl with short black hair, a broad chested boy wearing a yellow bandana, a tall boy holding a Japanese sword, a girl dressed a black leotard with a rose in her teeth, a boy with long black hair and thick glasses, and...

"Is this Warrior Leader Shampoo?" Perm asked in shock.

"Yes it is," Cologne said disgustedly. "Do you recognize the two standing in front?"

Perm studied the cartoon faces for a moment and then ventured a guess, "Could they be the man who disgraced Shampoo and his cursed warrior form?"

"Very good," Cologne said with a satisfied smile. "They are indeed the two aspects of Ranma Saotome."

"What are he and Shampoo doing on the cover of a video game?"

"That's precisely what I want you and your team to find out. We've successfully acquired the contract to produce these games here at the factory. We've hired a team of programmers in Kolkata to reverse engineer the game and replace any references to Amazon secret techniques with gibberish. The immediate danger has been contained, but I want to know why Saotome decided to break his promise and reveal our secrets."

"So this is to be an intelligence gathering mission in Japan?"

"For the most part, I want you to find out why he did this. Who else was involved and if there is any other plan to reveal our secrets. Then..." Cologne leaned wearily on a desk, which was nearly invisible under piles and piles of ancient books and scrolls.

"Is there something more you wish me to do, Elder Cologne?" Perm asked, sensing she was selected more for her ability to complete this unspoken task.

"Not me," Cologne said with a sigh. "The council of elders has decided to get rid of this problem once and for all. You are to eliminate Ranma Saotome before returning from this mission. There is one stipulation however, you are forbidden to take the life of the warrior Saotome. You must kill him only if he is in male form."

o o o

Nabiki peeked into Akane and Ranma's bedroom and found Ranma already dressed in his tuxedo and bending over Ranko-chan's crib. "There you are," she said. "How come you put on your tux already? Take's mom has dressing rooms all set aside for us."

Ranma straightened up with Ranko-chan in his arms. "I figured I'd be too busy with this little demon, so I got dressed while she was asleep."

"Well, the limo's here so we can leave anytime," Nabiki said sitting down on the bed.

Ranma looked at his sister-in-law sympathetically. She looked nervous, something very unusual for her. "Are you okay, Nabiki? I'm sure everything's going to be okay. I even used the waterproof soap to make sure Kuno's best man didn't suddenly turn into his old flame." He stuck a finger into Ranko-chan's diaper and peeked inside. "Uh oh, somebody needs changing."

"Doesn't that soap last for like... two or three days?" Nabiki asked without answering Ranma's question. "Is she okay with that?"

"So far she doesn't seem to notice any difference," Ranma said putting Ranko-chan down on the changing table. "We had a little trouble getting her to take a bottle last night, but I think she'll get used to it. So, are you going to tell me what you're so nervous about?"

"You've changed, Ranma," Nabiki said standing up and looking out the window. "It's getting harder to tell you apart from the redhead."

"Stop changing the subject," Ranma said as he unsnapped Ranko-chan's jumper and reached into the cabinet for a clean diaper.

"I'm not nervous," Nabiki lied, "I just wish we'd gotten married at one of those quickie places in Las Vegas instead of letting his folks put on a carnival in their backyard. Make sure you don't get any of that on the tux, those are Armani you know."

"Don't worry. I've got plenty of experience from doing this with the boys. With them you had to be on your toes the whole time. They could catch you off guard from a meter away, but little girls are close range sprinklers."

"So," Nabiki said having successfully gotten Ranma off the topic of her wedding, "have you finally given up on her turning into a boy? Maybe you just haven't found the right trigger mechanism yet?"

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked as he pulled the adhesive tabs off Ranko-chan's diaper.

"Well, hot and cold water didn't work maybe something else will, green tea... or sake? Maybe it's not something liquid at all. Maybe it's emotional? Maybe she needs to get really mad or maybe it'll happen when a really cute girl kisses her."

"Now you're just being silly, Nabiki." Ranma chuckled as he pulled down Ranko-chan's diaper with one hand and reached for a baby-wipe with the other. Before he even had a time to react to the shocking sight in front of him a stream of warm yellow liquid hit him square in the face and ran down the front of his tuxedo.

Nabiki leaned over Ranma's shoulder and smiled down at her nephew and his quite obvious and energetic endowment. "Or maybe he only changes into a boy when it's funny?"

The End of Book One

All characters in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This work is copyright (c) 2006 by Juliet Carnell, it is not public domain and all rights are reserved. This work is not for publication. This work may not be reproduced, distributed or sold in any format or media. This work may not be included in any collection without the express written permission of the author. The reader may make one printed or electronic copy of this work for personal use.

Characters and story elements that have appeared in 'Ranma 1/2' are copyright (c) 1987-1996 by Takahashi Rumiko and are used here without license.

Author's Notes:

(1) tilt-rotor aircraft - a type of vertical take-off and landing aircraft where the propellers swing from facing forward to facing straight up. Only military versions of these currently exist.

(2) furo - the Japanese word for a deep soaking bathtub.

(3) ryokan - a traditional Japanese inn.

(4) onsen - a hot spring fed by water heated deep underground.

(5) PLA - the Peoples' Liberation Army.


	15. Acknowledgements

**Acknowledgements**

_This brings to an end the first book of the 'Adventures of Ranko-chan'. The second book 'Martial Arts Family Vacation Challenge' is currently being outlined. I'm taking a month or two off to pursue some other projects, but I will be returning to this story soon._

_I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time to write a review or send me a private message. Your support was crucial to the completion of this book. Thank you for all the praise (which I hope I earned at least some of the time) and even more for all the corrections, concerns, and suggestions along the way._

_Specifically I'd like to thank JWG, Howard Russell, O.T.Hill, borg rabbit, and Arbe471 for constantly keeping me on my toes and helping me to become a better writer. Thanks guys!_

_I'd also like to single out Matrias, AshK, ranma girl 14, SakuraAyanami, and Innortal for hanging in there with this story from the very beginning. Without the support of fans like you I don't think I could have kept this project going._

_And now for some awards!_

_The longest review goes to the hands down winner JWG_

_The shortest review, winning by just a period, goes to Rubel_

_The best plot guess goes to Dragon Man 180_

_The cutest review goes to weebee_

_The best ego boosting praise goes to Ozzallos_

_The "I just want to give her one, okay?" goes to Hirrayami Otoni_

_I'm looking forward to writing for you all again very soon._

_Thanks for reading!  
glainfach_


End file.
